The St. Bonaventure community is invited to participate in the Olean Area Walk for Hunger Relief on Nov. 8. Sponsored by the Greater Olean Association of Churches, the event raises about $5,000 each year for emergency food providers.
Local churches, service organizations and businesses are encouraged to recruit walkers to solicit and collect pledges. Individuals and families unaffiliated with a specific organization may also collect funds and participate.
Half of the proceeds collected are given to support local emergency food providers, such as the Olean Food Pantry and the Warming House. The other half is divided among world organizations chosen by each participating group.
The Rev. Dan McDowell, senior pastor at Olean First Baptist Church and president of the Greater Olean Association of Churches, said, “It’s a great boost to our local hunger agencies, especially going into the holiday season when the demand gets to be really high.”
Registration the day of the walk begins at 1 p.m. at the Warming House at 110 W. State St. in Olean. From there, walkers will trek three miles on State, Front and Union streets beginning at 2 p.m.
The event’s coordinator and director of the Warming House, Trevor Thompson, said he encourages people of all ages to participate, whether as part of an organization or not.
“Beyond raising money for these local food providers, this is an opportunity for the community to be made aware of the people who still go hungry,” he said. “It’s also a chance to gather together as advocates for others.”
For more information about the walk, contact Thompson at (716) 375-2601 or tthompso@sbu.edu.
About the University: St. Bonaventure is in the top 15 percent of institutions in U.S.News & World Report’s 2010 ranking of Northern universities that offer master’s degrees. It has a history of accomplishment and service that extends back 150 years. At the heart of St. Bonaventure University is the Franciscan affirmation of the dignity and worth of the entire created order. Fundamental to this vision is an awareness that it is within relationships and community that individuals discover and develop their potential.