CWS, CROP Hunger Walks and Food Security: A Q&A with Paul Weisenfeld of USAID

News & Updates | Posted Friday, November 4, 2011

When participants in the CWS-sponsored CROP Hunger Walk in Arlington, Va. stepped off from Arlington Forest United Methodist Church last month, among the walkers was the head of the federal bureau charged with leading the effort to implement President Obama’s global food security initiative. Paul Weisenfeld, who heads USAID’s Bureau for Food Security didn’t just walk, he also spoke to …

40 years strong: Quad-Cities CROP Hunger Walk

News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Hunger is a moving topic for folks in the Quad-Cities Area. The proof? Roughly 700 walkers from Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline, Ill., took to the streets on October 2 to help fight hunger in the nation’s only bi-state CROP Hunger Walk. This year marked the 40th year for the Quad Cities CROP Hunger Walk. Ann …

Mayfield CROP Hunger Walk: ‘Being the change you want to see.’

News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, May 11, 2011

For the members of the Mayfield, N.Y., Central Presbyterian Church and others who had seen a tragedy unfolding for several days, there was no question that their commitment to helping the world’s hungry would continue. Because despite a lightning strike and a resulting fire that destroyed the church building on April 28, Mayfield residents went ahead with a CROP Hunger …

A dam walk in Texas helps kick off Spring CROP Hunger Walk season

News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, April 6, 2011

You can excuse any residents of Canyon Lake in central Texas Hill Country for referring to their town’s annual hunger-fighting walk as, “That dam walk.” The description is hardly a pejorative when the route of the walk indeed does take walkers straight across Canyon Lake Dam, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built years ago to reduce flooding of …

Darfuri refugees in the CROP Hunger Walk

News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A recently resettled refugee family from Darfur, Sudan, braved a cold, pouring rain to participate in last fall’s CROP Hunger Walk in Erie, Pa. The Tiras raised nearly $200 for CWS work to fight hunger in Erie and around the world. “Katie White is the Community Outreach Director of the International Institute of Erie (IIE), which resettled the Tira family …

Hiking for Hunger: A Walk Through Dunes, Dignity and the Drive for Justice

News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2025

This blog was written by Katy Keck, a former CWS board member and CROP Hunger Walk participant. From the sunlit dunes of west Michigan to the shuttered pantries of western Kenya, Katy reflects on her journey with Church World Service and the urgent call to end hunger injustice—locally and globally. Photos Courtesy of Katy Keck Walking with Purpose: From West …

“Because They Walk”: Kevin McCoy’s Changemaker Journey

News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Kevin McCoy, Community Engagement Specialist for Fundraising at CWS, has dedicated 25 years to serving others. Through his work with CWS, Kevin has led and attended 300 CROP Hunger Walks, aligning his faith and values with a commitment to walk in solidarity with communities worldwide striving for basic necessities and a better future. Discovering a Calling to Serve  Kevin McCoy, …

From Walking for Water to Hiking for Hope: Jenny’s 50-Year Journey with CWS

News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, October 1, 2024

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.  It was 50 years ago that I took my first steps with Church World Service. …

A Walk for Community

News & Updates | Posted Friday, March 31, 2023

Scroll through the gallery to see photos of this year’s CROP Hunger Walk in Austin! Behind all the work that CWS does, there’s an underlying value that drives everything we do: community. This is such a recurring theme, that I’ve even had to pull out a thesaurus every now and then to ensure I don’t use this word too many …

Praying Twice and Walking the Talk

News & Updates | Posted Monday, March 6, 2023

Four years ago pastors Bruce and Carolyn Gillette arrived at First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego, New York. The first time they met the congregation, Bruce wore sneakers and Carolyn did a children’s sermon using a book called Most Ministers Wear Sneakers, which explains the many duties of a minister. After being selected as pastors by the congregation, Carolyn and …