ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The community battled food insecurity in the Lehigh Valley and abroad one step at a time at the 46th annual Greater Allentown CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday.
The walk was sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Conference of Churches.
“CROP Hunger Walk raises money and awareness for people who are experiencing food insecurity,” said Dianne Kareha, who helped organize the walk.
Money raised helps support hunger relief around the world and locally by supporting the Lehigh Conference of Churches’ Ecumenical Conference Kitchen and Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, which combined serves more than 10,0000 meals a month.
Kareha walked alongside her sons.
“I feel so blessed to have been able to raise two healthy young men who are incredible people and it pains me that there’s anybody in this world that goes hungry or doesn’t have enough nutritious food,” said Dianne Kareha.
Her son Stephen said he has been participating in the walk since he was being pushed in a stroller.
“It’s become such a routine to be a part of this that giving and being a part of the community has become an important and everyday thing for my own life and for my family’s life,” said Stephen Kareha.
The walk has not only become a tradition for him.
“I’ve been doing this for years and I just think it’s so important to highlight the fact there’s still hunger in our world, that people don’t have enough to eat,” said Jan Sutermeister.
Kareha said there is something she hopes everybody takes away from the CROP Hunger Walk.
“Knowing number one that there is a problem of hunger in our own community when they’re shouldn’t be cause we are so blessed and that we are making a difference,” said Dianne Kareha.
The event also raises money to assist with disasters around the world.
Donations can be made at crophungerwalk.org/allentownpa.