CROP Walk 2000 planning meeting

The CROP Walk 2000 date has been set at March 5, as the Church World Service 10K event boots up for its 22nd year. The byword this year is “Walk with a Friend.” Bring a friend to walk with, to talk with, to laugh with, to whistle with, and to take a break with at the checkpoints. All churches in Santa Paula are invited to participate and provide both walkers and donors. A planning meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 20, 7 p.m. in the Social Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 133 N. Mill St. All who would like to participate, whether to walk, as a sponsor or donor, manning checkpoints, or doing one of the many other tasks needed to make the walk a success, are invited.Sponsored by Church World Service, the CROP Walks provide food, development assistance and clean water to more than 80 countries throughout the world. One-fourth of the proceeds stays in Santa Paula to help local food pantries.Emily Abbott, regional director for CROP Walk, will be present and will share a video showing the effects CROP Walk has on hunger and poverty throughout the world.