In September, Jenny Boteler, a UCC Pastor at Union Congregational Church, joined CWS as a participant in the Hike for Hope in Yosemite National Park and shared reflections from the trip and the impact her long-standing partnership with CWS provides for communities around the world.
Jenny Boteler at the 2024 Hike for Hope
It was 50 years ago that I took my first steps with Church World Service. Our youth group did a 10-mile CROP Hunger Walk. “We Walk Because They Walk” was the gist of it all. I remember as a teen becoming aware that in some places around the world, kids my age or younger walked that much every day to get water for their families. When did they have time to go to school or play and just be kids if they were spending that much time everyday walking for such a needed commodity?
Through the years, CWS has continued to bless me not only with an awareness of global needs for development and access to food, water, health care and more; they have also been a trusted partner for making a difference. I know that when I give to CWS, my dollars make a genuine difference in the world through direct services as well as through CWS partners.
This past year, CWS offered yet another way to build awareness and raise funds: the Hike for Hope. Through the partnership of Inspired Adventures and Wildland Trekking, you could hike 28 miles in Yosemite National Park with the goal of each person raising $2,500. Sign me up, please! And my brother too! We raised over and above our individual goals, as did the whole group. It pushed each of us to get the word out about CWS. The response from our families, friends, colleagues and churches was incredible! Yes, people do care about people they will never meet. They want to feed hungry bellies and help communities develop safe water supplies. They care about people who have been displaced by war, famine or natural disasters. They want to see a world where there is ‘Enough for All’.
2024 Hike For Hope participants in Yosemite National Park
That was just getting ready for the hike. The icing on the cake was meeting up with the other hikers, CWS leaders and guides. It is a rare experience for 16 people to meet up as strangers and all leave as friends. Everyone found a place of support, caring and camaraderie on this four-day trip into Yosemite. It was lovely to have a supported camping experience and guides to feed us, lead us and keep us safe on 28 miles of trails. Together we experienced God’s goodness and beauty. We shared stories of our life and faith journeys. Since we were on parts of the John Muir trail, we leaned into his wisdom. Instead of hiking, we moseyed through the beauty of the mountains soaking in the wonder of it all. We laughed, we moseyed and we reveled in the glory that was Hike for Hope.
One of my learnings along the way was what it means to be a philanthropist. I always thought that was a title for really rich people who made really significant financial contributions to charities. You know, like Melinda Gates or Warren Buffet. Those kind of people. Not me.
Patti Le Sesne, a CWS representative on the Hike, had a much broader understanding of this word. Philanthropy means love of humanity. Originally it had nothing to do with giving away money. It was rather a way of being in the world as someone who cared about the wellbeing of others. Today the word is used for generosity in all its forms (time, talent and, especially, treasures) to help make life better for other people. You participate in philanthropy every time you give to a cause you believe in.
Who knew that through all these years of giving to CWS I was becoming a philanthropist? From my first coins given as a child to church offerings to all the dollars I now give to organizations that I believe in, I have been practicing philanthropy. Whenever I have asked others to donate as I walk, hike or fast for CWS fundraising, or have contributed monthly to CWS, or even made CWS a beneficiary in my estate planning, I have been practicing philanthropy, giving through a trusted partner to help make life better for other people all around our great big world.
Thank you, Church World Service, for creating ways for all of us to love humanity and practice philanthropy. What a gift! And what a hike!
Are you ready to make a difference like Jenny and her fellow hikers? Whether you love hiking, biking or using your own unique ideas, you can create a DIY fundraiser with CWS that combines your passion and innovation to bring hope to communities in need. Just like the Hike for Hope, your efforts can inspire others and raise vital support for hunger relief, clean water and more. Start your journey and turn your passion into action! Email info@cwsglobal.org to learn how you can make an impact today or donate now.