CROP gives and receives locally

Around 400 walkers will set out on a six mile trek on Sunday as part of a walkathon called the CROP Hunger Walk. The event which is now in its 32^nd year has raised $1.1 million to feed hungry people, resettle refugees, provide clean water to third world people and advocate for the poor.

What is striking about the event is how local it is in many ways. Last year 26 congregations in Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest raised $72,000. The chair of the planning team, Joanne Despotes, lives in Forest Park as do two other team members. Three Forest Park Congregations–St. Bernardine, Hope Tabernacle and St. Paul Thai Lutheran–will have members walking.

Of the $72,000 raised, 25% or $18,000 remained in our area with $2000 going to the Forest Park Food Pantry and the same amount to West Suburban PADS.

Twenty-one Forest Park businesses have given generously as of last Friday when I filed this column. Of those 19 were mom and pop, locally owned businesses. This year, I’ve already received $1370 from businesses located in town. Of those only three were chain franchises, and those three were owned by local people.

Only one or two of those 19 have anything close to “deep pockets.” Most are making it, but none are going to be listed on the S&P 500 any time soon. When I enter the locally owned stores, I am greeted by name, often by the owners themselves. When I go into franchised stores, most of the time I’m given a two page application and told to send it to corporate headquarters. One such HQ was located in Cincinnati. Needless to say, I never got a response.

Last year I went into a one of a kind store on Madison St.—the kind of business which makes our main street so unique—and the owner apologetically told me that business was way down and that she couldn’t give anything. What impressed me, is that because we’ve known each other for several years and have a good relationship, she felt compelled to explain to me why she couldn’t give anything.

That’s part of meaning and value of doing things locally. CROP has credibility. In a way, we are a franchise, but we’ve been around for 32 years, and all our volunteers live in the area. Local business people are invested in this town and most either live here or spend more waking hours here than at home. Local business people give a huge amount, percentage wise, of their income to local causes, not to mention their volunteer hours and in kind gifts.

It’s all about relationships. When you take the El to the Loop to shop in the big stores or drive out to Oak Brook, sales people don’t greet you by name and the owners of Macy’s probably don’t even know where Forest Park is let alone sponsor a little league team here or donate to local fundraisers.

Cops have been getting a lot of negative press lately. Not so in Forest Park. Chief Ryan told me that in the twelve years he’s been with the FPPD, not one officer has moved to another town, even though they could earn significantly more money in some other departments. It’s in large part because of relationships, within the department but also with many of the residents. That’s a huge plus for our town, and exists because like many businesses here, Chief Ryan, Deputy Chief Aftanas and the officers in the department get it. “It” being relationships.

Sometimes I’ll be driving around the city or the burbs and will yearn for an iced coffee or an ice cream cone, but I’ll defer gratification long enough to pick my caffeine at Counter Coffee or get a chocolate chip ice cream cone at Brown Cow. My self-discipline gets rewarded with quality products but also with the knowledge that in small ways I’m helping sustain the village that sustains me.

We’re hoping to raise $80,000 this year on the CROP Walk. Of that total, 75% will go overseas to help refugees from wars in the Middle East simply survive in camps or to help the victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal. Needs in many places around the world are often greater than ours at home We don’t have children starving around here. Our health problems tend more towards obesity than not having enough calories.

Nevertheless, we’ve followed the CROP guideline of investing 25% of what we raise in agencies around here. Because we have needy people right in our own backyard. Because, if it takes a village to raise a child, it’s worth investing in that village.