Faith Communities Bring CWS Crop Hunger Walk to Newton

The Newton Church World Service Crop Hunger Walk returns this year, with 12 faith communities in Newton and Brighton combining efforts in order to help combat hunger and other basic needs for families in the area.

The walk, which takes place on Oct. 4, benefits Newton’s CAN-DO, the Allston-Brighton Food Pantry, Newton’s food pantries and City Mission Society of Boston.

CAN-DO, Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development Organization, is a nonprofit that works to develop affordable housing for those with low and moderate incomes throughout Newton. So far, CAN-DO has erected 44 units.

Doug Stuart, one of the event organizers, said that while it is hard to tell at this point how many walkers will be participating, he expects at least as many as last year, and “hoping for more.”

Fourteen organizations have committed to solicit walkers: Our Lady’s Help of Christians; Brighton-Allston, United Church of Christ; United Parish of Auburndale; Union Church in Waban; Good Shephard Episcopal Church; Newtonville United Methodist Church; Centre Street Food Pantry; Grace Lutheran Church of Needham; Newton Highlands, UCC; Eliot Church, UCC; St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Sacred Heart Church, Central Congregational Church and Ecumenical Catholic Church of Wellesley.

Newton operates three food pantries in the city: one in Waban, another in Newton Centre and a third at Newton Corner.

Last year, the walk was the highest-grossing CWS CROP Hunger Walk in New England, earning more than 40,000 dollars for hunger relief, said the announcement. The walk has been taking place for more than 30 years, raising more than a million dollars for hunger agencies locally and globally.

CWS extends its reach to many countries around the world, currently working with Syrian refugees in Serbia.

“Every time we walk in a CROP walk, we know that we are supporting our local and our global neighbors,” said Reebee Girash of Eliot Church.