VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City-Barnes County CROP WALK for Hunger is slated for Wednesday, May 1 starting at 7 pm, with registration at 6:30 pm. The walk will start at Faith Lutheran Church in Valley City.

“The entire community is encouraged to participate by walking and/or donating”, states Carol Umsted, a member of the Congregational United Church of Christ and a member of the planning team.

The ecumenical event, supported by numerous churches in the area, focuses on empathizing with people who have to walk to get the food and water that they need daily (without a car) and on raising money to support folks in need both here in Barnes County and across the world.

Twenty percent of the funds from the CROP WALK will go to the Barnes County Food Pantry. The remaining funds will go to Church World Service, an ecumenical development and relief organization that works across the world. They provide communities with emergency food help when situations are desperate at home and overseas. Church World Service responds to emergencies and disasters, providing food, water and educational supplies.

Clean water is essential for life and Church World Service helps communities find clean sources of water, by providing supplies to collect clean rain water in drums, digging reservoirs or wells. This organization also provides the tools and seeds for families in poverty to plant their own gardens. They also provide the technical support for communities and families to build their own latrines.

“The impact of your gift, no matter the size of the gift, can be life changing,” states Pastor Emmy Svedlund of Our Saviors Lutheran Church. She gives a few examples. Fifteen dollars can provide tools and seeds for a family to make a garden, providing nutrition and income for a whole family. And $24 can provide chickens for a family which can turn into a self-propagating food source. And $115 can provide a latrine for a family which will make a long-term improvement for that household.

Anyone interested in walking is invited to come to Faith Lutheran Church at 7 pm on Wednesday, May 1st. And interested walkers can stop by Faith Lutheran before the walk to pick up a pledge/donation envelope ahead of time or contact Sharon Buhr at 845-5197. All are welcome.

Story and photo submitted to NewsDakota.com