CROP - Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty
CROP walks were re-invigorated in Colorado Springs in 2005. Since that time, FCC has participated in every walk.
CROP is a part of Church World Service (CWS). Church World Service is a humanitarian agency and cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world.
One of the mottos of CROP walkers is that "We walk because THEY walk" -- they being the poor residents of third world countries who often walk 5 miles or more daily to bring water from wells and food from markets. Part of the proceeds from CROP walks goes to fund water wells and sustainable agriculture projects to help bring the sources closer to the people.
The 2010 walk raised over $13,000. Of this, 75% was sent to Church World Service, the other 25% was retained in Colorado Springs for the Interfaith Hospitality Network (another ministry in which FCC participates).
Fair Trade
FCC participates in several fair trade "marketplace" programs. These are also part of the DOC-UCC Global Ministries partnership. The idea behind fair trade projects is to support small-scale artisans and agriculture in marketing their products. FCC has hosted sales of products passed to us by Ten Thousand Villages and SERRV. We also particpate in a Fair Trade Coffee project through the Equal Exchange Coop. This year FCC sold about $8,000 of merchandise -- all the gross proceeds are returned to the Fair Trade organizations.
Heifer Project
The children and youth of FCC are spearheading a giving mission through Heifer International. They have been filling their own donation boxes, raising awareness in the congregation, and gathering larger donations through events and publicity. The 2010-11 goal is to fill an "Ark" (virtual) with donations for designated livestock purchases for third world families. Heifer funnels the livestock to those with the most need, believing that if we work to alleviate the poverty of the least fortunate we will create the ground work to pull a whole community out of poverty. Watch this space, as well as http://www.firstchristiancos.org/children-and-youth/whats-going-on-with-youth for updates.
