One step closer to ending hunger

By Marissa McMinn


Hays County Food Bank brought the CROP Hunger Walk to San Marcos March 25 with the hopes to raise awareness and funds.


The main goal behind organizing and supporting the walk is to end hunger locally and internationally.


"The Crop Walk is an annual event that is organized by another non-profit organization, Church World Service," said Jane Moore, Community Relations Coordinator at the food bank. "It is designed to increase awareness, as well as raise funds for international disaster relief and issues."

Image of the 2012 Crop Walk held by Hays County Food Bank
Used with permission from Hays County Food Bank

People interested in helping this cause, could do so by donating money or goods, participating in the walk to show support or by sponsoring a walker.


"The walkers recruit people to sponsor them at any amount," said Moore. "The overall money that is collected goes to Church World Service."


This year's walk was about four miles in all, said Lisa Henggeler, Donor Development Coordinator at the food bank.


"We started at the San Marcos Plaza Park and then walked down along the river and the baseball fields," said Henggeler.


Since the walk is an annual event, there were a lot of groups that had participated in past years that knew it would be coming up, said Henggeler.


The food bank also used their Texas State University interns to raise awareness about the CROP walk and the Hays County Food Bank's mission.


"I did various things to help organize and promote the CROP walk, but reaching the students at Texas State was my main goal," said Jesse Buchoz, an intern at the food bank. "Most students do not even know that San Marcos has a food bank."


One organization that Buchoz found to support and sponsor the food bank had a presence at the walk itself.


"FashioNation, a non-profit organization on campus, set up a little table and did some face painting," said Moore. "There was a Texas State representation besides our interns."