Mark your calendars for Sunday, April 24. That afternoon South Bay Area churches will host the 28th annual Crop Walk.
This is an opportunity to spend a nice spring afternoon strolling through San Jose’s lovely Rose Garden neighborhood, seeing some beautiful homes/elaborate landscaping, getting some healthful exercise – and helping to raise money for a worthy cause.
There are three recipients of the funds raised through this event.
n Sacred Heart Community Service is a nonprofit agency which was established in 1964 to help the poor of San Jose. Last year, an average of 2,000 individuals were helped each day with a food pantry, clothes closet, housing, legal, and job-placement assistance, citizenship, parenting, Early Childhood Education and ESL classes.
n Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties has provided 27 million pounds of food at minimal cost to 750 pantries, soup kitchens, children’s programs, senior services and other nonprofit agencies throughout both counties, including St. Joseph’s Center in Gilroy and Reach Out in Morgan Hill.
n Church World Service is an ecumenical relief agency sponsored by 36 Protestant and Orthodox denominations which responds with practical assistance when hunger, disease or natural disasters strike anywhere in the world. Aid includes shelter to families and communities affected by disasters like the Florida hurricanes, the Southeast Asia tsunami and California floods and mud slides; help for refugees in the Sudan and Afghanistan; and sustainable self-help development projects around the world.
Several years ago, South County had its own Crop Walk, but it has been consolidated with this San Jose event.
Last year, 55 churches and other groups raised more than $90,000. The total amount raised by the 27 annual walks is more than $1.2 million. Morgan Hill’s Advent Lutheran Church has been a longtime participant in this event, and this year Pastor Anita Warner will be roller-blading to help raise money.
The Walk begins and ends at Lincoln High School (555 Dana Street). People can choose from 1- 5- and 10-mile courses. Sign-in, educational exhibits and musical entertainment will be available from noon to 1pm.
Volunteers are invited to come to walk alone or as a group. You can pick up pledge forms on the day of the walk, and the money collected isn’t due until Memorial Day at the latest. Continuing a tradition, refreshments will be provided by Hobbee’s Restaurants.
For more information contact Dave Ahn at (650)725-5320 or by e-mail at
da**@st******.edu
.
Following the death of Pope John Paul II, the Religion Newswriters Association provided the following intriguing information: “Despite the recent years of Catholic scandal and crisis, 150,000 adults still become members of the Roman Catholic Church every year at special Easter ceremonies.” Also, “The second-largest ‘denomination’ in the United States is ‘lapsed’ Catholics….” In other words, more than 20 million Americans were raised Roman Catholic but no longer practice the religion of their birth.
One can only speculate what effect the selection of a new Pope will have on these numbers.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Write to him at P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95021.
