Walk for Hunger in Harrison to benefit local food bank efforts

A tradition more than four decades old is going strong to help the A-K Valley’s most needy.

A Walk for Hunger, set for Sunday in Harrison, aims to raise money to buy boxed meals, peanut butter, pasta and other shelf-stable items for local food pantries.

The walk is sponsored by the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, and anyone interested in participating should meet at 1 p.m. in the Heights Plaza parking lot near Wendy’s.

“Our food bank is experiencing higher numbers than usual,” said Karen Snair, the association’s executive director.

“We are signing up new households every week and expect that will continue.”

According to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the food insecurity rate for adults in Allegheny County is 13.1%. It is even higher for children, at 16.3%.

The walk is the only fundraising event AVAC does to benefit its food bank. Money also will go to the mass drive-thru food collection at Pittsburgh Mills and to emergency hunger needs.

A 5K path winds to Brackenridge and back to Natrona Heights, mostly along Broadview Boulevard. Walkers are asked to bring one can of food or another nonperishable item.

The cost is $15 at the registration booth, but will be waived for people who solicit donations prior to the walk. The fee includes a T-shirt.

“Having everyone walk with the same shirts on attracts attention and serves as a way to raise awareness of those experiencing hunger and food insecurity,” Snair said.

Last year’s event brought in more than $12,000 with about 60 people participating, along with walk sponsors.

Robin Richards of Freeport has stepped up for the community-oriented event for at least 20 years.

“It’s for a good cause, and it’s so much nicer and more fun when there’s more people,” she said.

Richards, a member of Center Methodist Church in Fawn, said she realizes the struggles that some people go through to put food on their table.

“With the way food cost is now, Jiminy Crickets. Everything costs so much,” she said.

Members of Center Methodist try to recruit from the church youth group to plant enthusiasm.

“We make a big thing of it so they’re interested,” she said. “The more people we have, the better it helps out.”

Founded in the 1980s as a CROP Walk, Snair said the event at that time benefited the Church World Service, and AVAC got to keep 25% of the proceeds each year.

“One year in the early 2000s, our food bank was in desperate need of funds as we were providing food to the union workers who were on strike,” Snair said. “This put a heavy hit on our budget, so we put in a request to retain more of the funds we raised because of our financial situation and were declined.”

Needing the extra money to pull the AVAC food bank out of the red, the board decided it would hold a Walk for Hunger. That effort brought in more money than in the past, and food bank finances were healthy once again, she said.

The group returned to the CROP Walk but was told by many in the community they preferred the money to stay in the Valley.

Walk for Hunger became an annual tradition. Snair said participation dipped during the pandemic, but she’s seeing a strong rebound.

“We hope to attract even more people this year,” she said.