What does CROP stand for?
When CROP began in 1947 (under the wing of Church World Service, which was founded in 1946), the name was an acronym for the Christian Rural Overseas Program; its primary mission was to help Midwest farm families to share their grain with hungry neighbors in post-World War II Europe and Asia. Reflective of a program that for several decades has been both urban and rural, CROP is no longer an acronym; it is the name given to community, interfaith hunger education and fundraising events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by 22 CWS/CROP regional offices across the U.S.

In some CWS/CROP regions, CROP has come to mean Communities Reaching Out to People.

Where do CROP WALK funds go?
CROP WALKS help to support the overall ministry of Church World Service, especially the grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts of partner agencies in more than 80 countries. CROP WALKS help to provide tools of hope that empower people to meet their own needs. From seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to nutrition-enhancing Moringa trees, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans, the key is people working together to identify their own development priorities, their strengths and their needs -- something CWS has learned through some 57 years of working in partnership around the world.

In addition, each local CROP WALK can choose to return up to 25 percent of the funds it raises to local hunger-fighting programs.