Even during the pandemic, they walked.
In 2020, the local churches that participate in the Greater Concord Interfaith Council’s annual Crop Hunger Walk convened online before leading their members on short walks dispersed across the capital area.
Belts were tight and the public was hesitant to gather, but still, the walk raised thousands of dollars for hunger relief at home and abroad.
“We’re put on this earth to work hard and help others and show empathy for the less fortunate,” said Michael Sauve, the team captain for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, who works at the Concord Monitor’s printing press. “I also believe that no matter what faith people belong to, we’re all one, we’re in this together, we’re just people.”
On Saturday, Concord’s Crop Walk will enter its 41st year, continuing a tradition as one of the longest continuously-running fundraisers of its kind in the state.
Walkers will meet at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Clinton Street on Saturday morning and follow a 2.5-mile loop.
Due to cutbacks, a representative from Church World Services, the organization that receives Crop Walk donations, will be absent from this year’s opening prayer and speeches.
As a nonprofit that works toward refugee resettlement as well as offering hunger, poverty and disaster relief, Church World Services saw its budget severely reduced by federal funding freezes, according to Chris Paull, who coordinates the Crop Walk for the Interfaith Council.
“They’re doing the best they can to continue providing their services, but part of what that meant was laying off staff and other staff aren’t able to travel as much,” she said.
Each year, Church World Services returns 25% of donations from the Crop Walk to the Interfaith Council, which allocates funds to local food pantries. Last year, $3,647 raised during the benefit walk was reinvested into the greater Concord community.
That partnership has not changed. This year, the list of ten local recipients includes the Christ the King Parish Food Pantry, Family Promise, The Friendly Kitchen and the Rundlett Blue Duke Care Closet.
These days, most of the event’s fundraising happens online, with a few loyal churches still passing around a collection plate on Sunday mornings to meet the fundraising goal. While donors have remained generous in their online giving, attendance at the walk has diminished over time, according to Paull.
“We want to encourage more people to come out and walk with us,” Paull said. “Part of what the walk is about is visibility, letting the general public out there know that there are local people out there working on this.”
Despite these challenges, the Crop Walk has persisted into a fifth decade.
Walkers have already raised nearly $11,000, with an ultimate goal of reaching $15,000 in donations this year.
“It’s really about helping our neighbors, both nationally and internationally,” Paull said, “so we’re hoping we’ll exceed that goal.”
The Concord Crop Hunger Walk will be held on Saturday, October 11. Registration opens at 9 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m. To donate to the Crop Walk, visit https://events.crophungerwalk.org/crophungerwalks/event/concordnh.