The eighth annual Hunger Walk is scheduled for Oct. 2. At its monthly meeting, Dunkirk Fredonia Clergy Association voted to sponsor the Hunger Walk to benefit the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry food programs. The event will begin at St. John's United Church of Christ, 733 Central Ave. in Dunkirk at 2 p.m.
"Each year, nearly 100 walkers show up to support this important event," states Rural Ministry Director Kathleen G. Peterson.
One-hundred percent of what is collected is distributed. The annual Hunger Walk provides 75 percent of what is collected to Rural Ministry food programs - the Friendly Kitchen, the Emergency Food Pantry and their gleaning/food recovery and community garden projects. The remaining 25 percent is designated to another needy organization. This year the Clergy Association decided to support a project in Somalia.
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Participants are pictured at a previous year’s Hunger Walk. In 2011, the annual event is now in its eighth year.
The Hunger Walk is community residents walking together to help take a stand against hunger and raise awareness of hunger locally, as well as globally. The Clergy Association sponsors this event as well as several other community events.
"This walk is vital to Rural Ministry programs, including the Friendly Kitchen, emergency food programs and gleaning/food recovery and community garden projects," Peterson said.
This year alone, CCRM's emergency food pantry has provided 43,316 meals to families in a hunger crisis - this is an increase of nearly 6,000 meals in comparison to last year's statistics.
Anyone wishing to walk this year or make a contribution to the Hunger Walk can call CCRM offices, contact their local church or contact Pastor Tom at the United Church of Christ in Dunkirk.
