Several people hit the pavement on Sunday in Great Falls to end hunger one step at a time.
For more than 25 years, Great Falls has held a CROP Hunger Walk to raise awareness and money for those suffering from hunger and poverty across the world.
The CROP Walk, which stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, is organized primarily by churches.
The walk’s donations help not only with international efforts, but local people in need.
Tammy Bull, the 2018 Great Falls CROP Walk coordinator, said 75 percent of the donations go towards direct relief efforts in places that have experienced weather-related disasters like North Carolina and Indonesia.
“It goes to help places where there’s drought and hunger, famine, and people who are living in poverty here in the United States and across the world,” she said.
However, a large part of the donations will stay in Great Falls.
“Twenty-five percent of the money we raise will stay right here in our community and will support the ministry of Great Falls Family Promise, which is a homeless housing program for families who are experiencing homelessness,” she said.
Participants in Sunday’s walk hit the River’s Edge Trail and looped around Gibson Pond and West Bank Park.
According to Bull, the first CROP Walk was held in Bismarck, North Dakota 49 years ago. To honor their 50th anniversary, Great Falls has challenged Bismarck to see who can raise the most money during next year’s event.
To learn more about the CROP Hunger Walk, click here. For more information about Family Promise Great Falls, visit its Facebook page.
