Local residents can help recovery efforts from Hurricane Matthew at this weekend’s CROP Walk.
Haiti, Cuba and parts of the southeastern United States were recently devastated by the tropical storm.
Martha Vache says money raised at the CROP Walk goes to Church World Services, which has a well-established presence in the affected areas.
“Church World Service has been involved for decades with relief efforts whenever there’s an emergency anywhere in the world, so they’re in a good position to help with Hurricane Matthew. They don’t have to start from scratch, they already know people on the ground, in some of the areas that they’ve been working in to do reconstruction ever since the earthquake several years ago. They have connections there, they already have supplies stored and they know what to do and how to get there,” Vache explains. .
In addition to helping the hurricane recovery, $25 of each $100 raised locally will be divided between food centers and pantries in the area.
The CROP Walk takes place Sunday at Community Park. Registration for walkers starts at 1 p.m. near the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Office. The route, which goes about four miles, is open to individuals of any age.
More information about the walk can be found at cwsglobal.org.
Donations can be sent to crophungerwalk.org.