News & Updates | Posted Monday, March 18, 2013
PHOENIX, Ariz/SPRINGFIELD, Ohio/STORRS, Conn. – CROP Hunger Walks have been called the “granddaddy of charity walks.” At age 97, Lester Dray well may be the granddaddy of walkers. When the Litchfield Park, Ariz. retiree participated in his area’s Feb. 24 West Valley CROP Hunger Walk – his 21st walk since the 1980s – Dray says it signaled his own baton-passing …
News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, September 4, 2012
DeWitt, Iowa — DeWitt, Iowa, college sophomore Joshua Willey is determined to do his part to end hunger in his lifetime, and he’s not deterred by the looming obstacles: the global food crisis, the 1 billion hungry people in the world, this summer’s unprecedented droughts or the still sluggish economy that is taking a toll on the budgets of many …
News & Updates | Posted Thursday, October 27, 2011
That was the immediate response of refugee teens in northwestern Rochester, N.Y., when Kathy LaBue suggested they organize a CROP Hunger Walk as a community service project. LaBue is co-founder of Mary’s Place, a community center for the many resettled refugees living in Rochester’s Maplewood and Edgerton neighborhoods. “I had walked in CROP Hunger Walks before, but the refugees hadn’t …
News & Updates | Posted Monday, February 2, 2026
Church World Service joins colleagues and partners around the world in remembering Rev. Robert Lawrence “Lonnie” Turnipseed, who served CWS with profound dedication and visionary leadership. A memorial service will be held on February 28, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Derstine Chapel, 275 Dock Drive, Lansdale, PA. More details about the service can be found here. A Leader Rooted in Global Mission Lonnie’s connection to …
News & Updates | Posted Friday, November 14, 2025
Church World Service distributes over half a million dollars to support food security in the aftermath of attacks on SNAP Elkhart, IN—This week, Church World Service (CWS) began distributing over half a million dollars ($506,359) in grant payments to local hunger-fighting agencies—including soup kitchens, food banks and social-service providers—as the first installment of funding raised through 2025 Fall CROP Hunger …
News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, November 4, 2025
CWS is helping children and families build safer and brighter futures. As the weather turns colder, we reflect on how to build warmth—through support, protection and empowerment for children in the United States and around the world. You can feel the rhythm of daily life changing as autumn settles across much of the United States. The air cools, the pace …
ANNUAL REPORT 2025 MENUDear CWS friends, It has been a stormy year. Since taking office in January, the new administration has dismantled the policies and structures that countless people rely on. They have attempted to deny the legitimate and legal claims of people seeking safety. They have cut vital food programs, undermined emergency response efforts and gutted services that millions …
News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, September 2, 2025
New initiative will strengthen social safety nets through practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ—through education, local and national advocacy, and volunteering Washington, D.C.—Today, in a bold move to protect and strengthen social safety nets by joining faith with action, Church World Service (CWS) issued the 2025 Ecumenical Statement on Hunger Justice. The Statement, which is a clarion call for people …
News & Updates | Posted Friday, August 29, 2025
The world is currently experiencing a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. Conflict, climate extremes and poverty are among the primary drivers that have caused up to 319 million people across 67 countries to face chronic hunger. What causes global hunger? The world produces enough food to feed everyone on the planet. The issue isn’t supply—many of our global neighbors are …
News & Updates | Posted Thursday, May 1, 2025
New York City– CWS today announced that the organization will be closing 11 program offices across the United States following sweeping actions taken by the Trump Administration terminating or suspending federally funded programs supporting refugees and immigrants. The office locations in the process of closing include: Georgetown, DE; Jacksonville, FL; Orlando, FL; Grand Rapids, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Burlington, NC; Charlotte, …