New Holland/Leola CROP Walk Planned

"Come out to walk together," said Krisana Poontajak, pastor of Cedar Grove Presbyterian Church and one of the organizers of the New Holland/Leola CROP Walk. "The more people, the more encouraging (it is)," added Poontajak.

This will be the 45th anniversary of the New Holland Walk, and organizers are excited to get back to a fully live event after last year's hybrid walk, which included a virtual option. The walk is held in New Holland, but Leola churches began taking part in recent years. The 2022 New Holland/Leola CROP Walk will begin at the New Holland Memorial Community Park, in the 400 block of Jackson Street, New Holland, on Sunday, Oct. 16. The walk will leave the Rotary Pavilion at 1:30 p.m. Participants are asked to meet at the park at 1 p.m. to complete the registration process. They may walk up to 3 miles following a route through Garden Spot Village (GSV).

Several local churches will take part in this year's event, including Cedar Grove, Ranck's United Methodist, St. John Center Lutheran, the Community Church at Garden Spot Village, and Trinity Lutheran, all in New Holland, as well as Leola United Methodist and Zion Lutheran in Leola and Akron Mennonite Church in Akron.

CROP Walks, which have been in existence nationwide for 53 years, are sponsored by Church World Service (CWS). According to CWS, CROP Walk funds help transform communities by bringing food and water to people in need in several countries. Funds raised by CROP help dig wells to provide water for drinking and agriculture. In some countries, people travel an average of 6 miles a day to obtain clean water. The availability of clean water is especially important because when individuals do not have to walk miles to obtain water, they can use the time to work, build a business, or take advantage of educational opportunities.

But CROP does not serve only those overseas. Local food pantries benefit by receiving 25% of the funds raised by the CROP Hunger Walk nearest them. In ELANCO, the CrossNet Food and Nutrition Center in New Holland and the Northeastern Lancaster County Food Bank in Terre Hill will both benefit. In the Conestoga Valley area, Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services (CVCCS) Food Pantry will receive funds.

Last year's New Holland-area walk raised $8,300. This year, organizers hope to raise $10,000 locally. "Last year we were masked up (on the walk)," recalled Jonathan Barrett, executive director of CVCCS. "This year people are out again, and $10,000 is a good goal."

According to walk organizer George Weaver, all a church needs to take part in the event is a few dedicated people. "The key is a coordinator and a supportive pastor," said Weaver. Those who wish to become church recruiters may email pastorkris@frontier.com or call 717-354-5573.

Information about the walk may be found at http://www.crophungerwalk.org. Those who wish to register teams made up of youth group or family members or co-workers may do so at http://www.crophungerwalk.org/2022/event/newhollandpa.