Did you drink any bottled water today?

Fact: In the U.S., we often choose to buy bottled water even though we have clean water at the tap. One of every six people in the world lacks this access to safe drinking water. Fact: Ground water in our own eastern U.S. is becoming increasingly contaminated.

Ventura’s May 1st CROP Hunger Walk helps improve community health, hygiene, and sanitation standards throughout the world. By supporting the Ventura walk, you will also improve the lives of local residents. 25% of what is raised stays in Ventura. This money will support the hunger-fighting programs of Family to Family, FoodShare, and the food pantries of Catholic Charities and Project Understanding.

Church World Service (CWS) joins forces with local partner agencies throughout the world, as well as national denominational groups such as American Baptist Churches USA, Brethren Disaster Ministries, Catholic Charities USA, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Lutheran Disaster Response, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, and Week of Compassion to provide long-term recovery as well as immediate relief. Since CWS responds whenever and wherever disaster strikes, they are in Japan, Haiti, and Louisiana today - and will stay until rebuilding has been completed.

Sign-up to walk TODAY!

There Are More Ways to Help Fight Hunger Locally and Globally

We are signing up walkers but can also use people to help put up signs and flyers, set-up and take-down on the day of the walk, donate snacks or help serve them as walkers return, or help walkers sign-in when they arrive. The walk is now a little over fiveh weeks away - how can you help?

Save the Date!

We are walking on a later date this year:

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Walkers (and runners) will be leaving later as well:

Runners will leave at 1:59pm

Walkers will leave at 2:00pm

Later in the year and later in the day, but with Daylight Saving Time, there will be lots of light left after the walk.

If you would like to get involved - as a walker, sponsor, or a steering committee member, please contact
Renata Hundley via the email link below.

THANK YOU Walkers!

A big “thank you” goes out to everyone who helped with last Sunday’s CROP Hunger Walk. Whether you walked, donated money or food, helped on the day of the walk with set-up, music and sound, refreshments, accounting, or cleanup; or whether you supported the April Fools concert with your donations and attendance (a HUGE thank you goes out to Dianna, Molly, and Steve for their generosity and wonderful talent!) – each one of you helped our local food pantries and people around the globe. The Walk involved ten Ventura churches and organizations as well as many individuals. This community pledged $15,356.00 as of Walk Day – many of these pledges have not yet been turned in and historically, much more will be donated in the next month. If you have not yet turned in your walk envelopes or would still like to donate, it’s not too late. Please see your recruiter or drop off your donations at the First United Methodist Church office as soon as you can.
Photos of the walk and the concert will be posted in a few days - in the meantime, here is a photo of one of our four-footed walkers at the end of the walk :-)

Today's the Day!

Hunger Walk 2010 has arrived and the day is going to be perfect for walking! Walkers, please remember to come by 12:30 in order to check-in and get the information you need. If possible, please turn in your envelopes with your sponsor's donations. If you have not yet collected them all, just bring the top sheet of your envelope and turn in the money as soon as you can. Whatever we raise before the end of April will help get us a bigger check from the Alan B. Feinstein Foundation's Million Dollar funds to fight hunger.

Not walking? How about clicking on the Online Fundraising link on the left side of this page. Locate the Ventura walk and choose a walker to donate to. You may use your credit or debit card and Church World Service will send you a donation receipt. If you wish to donate cash or a check, make your pledge to a walker you know in order to deliver the check to them.

This year we are offering both a 5K and 10K walk, so come and join us!

Concert Fundraiser for CROP on April 18th

Besides walking and supporting walkers, people have another way to fight hunger in Ventura and around the world - a week before the CROP Hunger Walk! Please click on this image for details!

New Route(s) in 2010

This year walkers can choose between a 5K and 10K walk and everyone will get a slightly different route from recent years. (Click on the map to enlarge it.)
The biggest change is that we will NOT walk down Sanjon and through the State Park and Pier areas. Instead, from the church parking lot, we will follow Thompson and cross down California before we follow the beach Promenade. Those wishing to finish sooner will be able to cut over to Mission Park and come through Downtown Ventura and back to the start in about an hour.