Herald News Report

FAIRBORN — The 2015 Fairborn CROP Walk aims to fight hunger and will begin 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

CROP — Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty — is run under the guidance of Church World Service.

The annual community-wide walk for hunger has been a part of Fairborn’s outreach for more than 35 years. In the CROP Walk, walkers ask sponsors to donate money for each mile they walk. The walk is about six miles long, beginning and ending at the Fairborn United Methodist Church, 100 North Broad St., and winding along downtown Fairborn and the Fairborn bike path.

The purpose of the CROP Walk is to raise money to fight hunger in Fairborn and around the world. Twenty-five percent of all funds raised in the Fairborn CROP Walks are returned to the Fairborn FISH Food Pantry, while the remaining 75 percent of the funds are given to Church World Service to support its worldwide programs.

In 2014 this meant $1,392.50 was donated to the Fairborn FISH Food Pantry and $4,177.50 was donated to CWS for a grand total of $5,570 raised.

Organizers this year are aiming to raise at least $7,000 total, with $1,750 being returned to the Fairborn community. To help reach this goal, organizers are asking individuals and groups to participate in the community event. Contact Bob Andes, CROP Walk coordinator, at 937-879-2015 or 937-581-1239 for more information. He can give attendees CROP sponsor envelopes for their participation.

In 2014, the FISH Food Pantry served 5,772 families in Fairborn and Bath Township — 7,104 children and 12,651 adults; 99.6 percent of Fairborn FISH donations went directly to clients’ needs. In 2015, the pantry has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of families needing assistance in relation to 2014.