NIU students and DeKalb community members took the world a step closer to ending hunger in Sunday’s CROP Hunger Walk.

Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty (CROP) participants walked four miles and raised money to alleviate hunger and suffering.

This year, DeKalb walkers began at the First United Methodist Church, 321 Oak St.

According to Bennetta Stearnes, co-chair of the walk, 75 percent of donations will be distributed the world to poverty stricken areas including those in Asia, Africa, the Phillipines, South America, and a few places in the U.S.

The rest of the money raised will stay in DeKalb and go toward Hope Haven, Safe Passage, Meals on Wheels and the Salvation Army Food Pantry.

“Our goal is to raise $30,000 this year,” Stearnes said.

Stearnes also said she expected to see around 100 to 200 walkers mostly from the surrounding DeKalb churches.

“We’d like to have every church participate,” Stearnes said.

NIU organization Bread for the World, as well as NIU students of the School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences, participated by forming their own walking teams. Students of FCNC 406 held a food drive for the Salvation Army Food Pantry.

“To solve world hunger, it’s not just a one man job,” said Amy Ozier, assistant professor for the School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences. “It’s about empowering the community.”

Students can still donate food on campus in Wirtz Hall through the end of this week.

CROP was started in 1946 by midwestern farmers after World War II. The farmers noticed there was an abundance of crops and decided to feed Europeans who went hungry because of the war.

“Now it’s grown into a different type of thing, but the whole idea is to alleviate world hunger and poverty,” Stearnes said.

Despite the early morning rain, Stearnes said they would walk rain or shine because the people who they are trying to help have to walk for everything they do.

“They have to walk to do anything, to get water, to not get killed,” said Carol Lindeburg, co-chair of the walk.

Stearnes has been a participant of the walk for 20 years.

“You know that this kind of poverty exists and you want to do something,” Stearnes said. “The community can do a lot someone just has to get it started.”