CHOW’s annual Hunger Walk looking to raise awareness for food insecurity

(WBNG) -- CHOW is celebrating the 41st annual Hunger Walk on Sept. 23. The event is aimed at raising awareness for the organization that helps provide food to pantries and community members.

The walk will be held at the Oakdale Commons in Johnson City, formerly known as Oakdale Mall, where attendees will walk the perimeter of the building.

Director of CHOW Les Aylesworth said he hopes people of all ages and backgrounds will participate and support the important cause.

“Everyone is invited young or old families with small children and everyone in between,” said Aylesworth. “This event is for you and after we do the walk, we’re going to walk the entire length of the mall and come back to the beginning throughout the mall we are going to have activities going.”

The walk holds importance to organization members due to the increase in food insecurity in the region. A member of the All Saints Church, Debbie Thorpe, acknowledged the support CHOW provides them and said it would be impossible to feed the increased pantry attendees without the help.

“Without CHOW we would not be able to have this program,” said Thorpe. “We have seen before the pandemic we had 60 people coming per week and now we have 120, 120 people who can’t wait to come get food from us and we never say no.”

The event will start at 3 and end at 6 p.m. on Sept. 23. Following the event, 15% of all food purchases at “Auntie Annes” and beer from “Beer Tree Factory” will be donated to CHOW.

No pre-registration is required for the event.

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