Sometimes helping someone doesn’t begin with a big check, a truckload of food or some grand gesture.
Sometimes it begins with simply putting one foot in front of the other.
On Sunday, October 4, people from around the Cedar Valley will gather in Waterloo for the 2026 Cedar Valley CROP Hunger Walk, taking steps together to raise money and awareness for people facing hunger.
The gathering will be held at First Congregational Church, 608 W. Fourth Street in Waterloo.
Registration and lunch begin at 1 p.m., followed by a send~off at 1:45 p.m. The walk begins at 2 p.m. Participants will make their way through Waterloo’s Historic Church Row neighborhood, and all ages are invited to participate.
But these aren’t just steps around a neighborhood.
They’re steps taken for somebody who may be wondering how groceries will stretch until payday.
For a family whose budget doesn’t quite reach the end of the month.
For neighbors here at home~ and people much farther away~ who know what it feels like when there simply isn’t enough food.
CROP Hunger Walks are community events sponsored by Church World Service that raise money to fight hunger both locally and around the world. The movement traces its history back more than half a century.
Here in the Cedar Valley, proceeds from the October 4 walk will support CROP and the local Northeast Iowa Food Bank.
And that local connection reaches farther than some might realize.
The Northeast Iowa Food Bank serves 16 counties, including Allamakee, Winneshiek, Howard, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Bremer and Black Hawk counties.
So on October 4, those footsteps through Waterloo will carry a pretty simple message:
We see our neighbors.
We care.
And nobody should have to walk through hunger alone. ❤️
You don’t have to be the fastest walker.
You don’t have to take the biggest steps.
Sometimes you just have to be willing to take the next one.
Deliverance Hope ~ word-round-town.com
Keep Goin’ ‘Round Town
There’s always another story waiting just around the corner.