NIU students can take steps to help end hunger in DeKalb County and the world.

The annual DeKalb County CROP Walk will step off on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 615 N. First St.

CROP, Christian Rural Overseas Project, has been in existence since the early 40s, said Jerry Lane, coordinator of the walk.

Lane said the project originally started after World War II. Farmers collected grain which was then shipped to Europe to aid European citizens after the war. Since then, it has expanded to aid people in all parts of the world, Lane added.

Lane said they hope to raise $15,000 this year. All funds raised will go toward hunger relief.

Seventy-five percent of the funds will go to the Church World Service, an international relief, development and refugee resettlement agency. The remaining 25 percent will stay in DeKalb County and be distributed to local hunger-related agencies, Lane said.

Organizations that will receive CROP walk funds are Feeding Our Older DeKalb (FOOD), the DeKalb Area Food Pantry and the SHARE program, run by Neighbors in Christ Ecumenical (NICE), located in the southern part of the county.

Terry Beer, pastoral associate at the Newman Center, said there are a lot of NIU participants this year.

Some campus organizations involved are Baptist Campus Ministry, Circle K, Golden Key, Financial Management Association, Lambda Sigma, Lutheran Campus Ministry, Mortar Board, Newman Center, Sigma Lambda Sigma, the Student Nursing Association, the Student Dietetic Association and the Asian American Association.

“This is a chance for students to do something to help with hunger relief,” Beer said.

Lane added, “I’m real happy about NIU’s involvement and excited about their participation. Let’s just hope for good weather.”

Registration packets are available at the Newman Center or can be picked up at the walk at 1:30 p.m.