CWS Executive Vice President Maurice Bloem Launches Fifth Annual 100 Mile Hunger Walk Campaign


September 29, 2016

NEW YORK— Church World Service — a global humanitarian organization and one of nine U.S. resettlement agencies — today announced that its executive vice president Maurice Bloem has kicked off the fifth 100 Mile Hunger Walk campaign, an annual initiative that raises awareness and funds to fight hunger around the world. A staggering 795 million people worldwide lack enough food to lead healthy and productive lives. 

“As leaders and advocates working to eradicate hunger, we must literally ‘walk the talk’ to make real differences in people’s lives. The world has set out to end hunger by 2030, and I hope our campaign makes big strides in stimulating others to join us in working hard toward this target. A key aspect of meeting this goal will be ensuring that no one is left behind — including the millions of people displaced from their homes in the largest refugee crisis we’ve seen in generations. Make no mistake about it: every mile in our hunger walk counts,” said Bloem, who founded the campaign in 2012. 

Beginning on October 17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this year’s walk will span three states across the Southwest and include visits to food banks, shelters, youth centers, and CROP Hunger Walk communities. From now until December, the campaign also encourages the public to contribute to the effort online by donating money or miles walked in everyday life at 100mile.org.

This year, the campaign aims to reach a cumulative of 7,950 miles walked and “donated.” Each mile helps advance toward the total target of 795,000 miles by the year 2030, which represents the 795 million people in the world suffering from hunger. Track the mileage progress at 100mile.org.

Moved by the potential of volunteerism in bringing social and economic change, Bloem started building this campaign by visiting communities across the country —recruiting local leaders who expressed the willingness to walk with him ever since. 

Learn more and join the 100 Mile Hunger Walk at 100mile.org.

About Us

Church World Service 

CWS — a global humanitarian nonprofit and one of nine U.S. resettlement agencies— works with its partners around the world to eradicate hunger and poverty and promote peace and justice. Operating in more than 30 countries, CWS offers refugee and immigrant assistance, disaster relief and sustainable self-help. Each year, our volunteers organize approximately 1,100 CROP Hunger Walks and assemble supply kits for global distribution. For more information about our work, visit cwsglobal.org.

CWS Incubation Lab

The CWS Incubation Lab — which coordinates the logistics of the 100 Mile Hunger Walk — is a new CWS initiative that develops innovative projects that engage diverse communities in building a better world. Through the Incubation Lab, CWS works to design and implement groundbreaking new projects, facilitate collaborative partnerships and endeavor new solutions to complex and deep-rooted problems.

Media Contact

Christina Levin, 212-870-2188, media@cwsglobal.org