Category Archives: Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike – Schedule of Fun

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Tackling Hunger – Locally, Regionally, Globally

Hunger Hike is a family event for individuals & teams whose mission is to Raise Awareness & Make a Difference in the Fight Against Hunger. (And it’s Dog Friendly.) The goal this year is to raise $100,000 for food and nutrition programs locally, regionally and globally. The traditional Hunger Hike 1.5K Walk is THIS Sunday (September 18) from 1 – 3:30 p.m. at Riehle Plaza, N 2nd Street, Lafayette.

Below are the special highlights of the Hunger Hike kick-off event. For additional information on Hunger Hike 2022, please visit our website at hungerhike.org.

Donate – Hunger Hike
Raise Funds – Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike — Special Highlights & Surprises

Join us Sunday, September 18 for the Hunger Hike kick-off event.

  • At 1 – 2 p.m. (Riehle Plaza). DJ Powder from Rat Pak Mobile DJs will emcee and provide dance music at Hunger Hike. DJ Powder creates a family-friendly, festive environment during the kick-off of Hunger Hike.
  • The kick-off event will also feature Purdue Pete, the Purdue Cheer team and the Purdue Crew Team. The Purdue Cheer team will perform with Purdue Pete. Thanks to Purdue Athletics, and Purdue Crew Team for their support. There will be FREE Zumba, face painting, ax throwing, balloon animals, clowns, princesses, and massages.
  • At 1:45 p.m., there will be a short ceremony. Sheila Klinker, Indiana State Representative, will kick-off  Hunger Hike with the singing of the US National Anthem with her daughter, Kelly Jacob, followed by an invocation from the Reverend Dr. Hilary Cooke, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. 
  • There will also be awards, including “oldest walker,” “youngest walker,” and “best new fundraiser.”
  • At 2:00 p.m., Hunger Hike supporters begin the 1.5K walk over the pedestrian bridge and around Tapawingo Park, the new family-friendly route.
  • Along the way there will be live boat demos at the Purdue Boathouse, popsicles, and a magic show featuring Scott Starkey, the Wizard of the Wabash. The route ends back at Reihle Plaza with a picnic with hot dogs, chips, and bottled water.

Hunger Hike is a fundraising event and an exciting community celebration. Hunger Hike raises money to support the important work of Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc., and the St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry.

Sign up now for Hunger Hike 2022, and help fight hunger! Be a part of this community event to raise $100,000 for the hunger relief efforts locally, regionally & globally. Three Easy Ways to get involved:

There is only days to Hunger Hike. Start a team and start raising funds. Get started TODAY! It’s not too late.

Donate – Hunger Hike
Raise Funds – Hunger Hike

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES – If you wish to volunteer with Hunger Hike, click HERE to sign up online. Perfect for groups and individuals.

Hunger Hike is Here!

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Tackling Hunger – Locally, Regionally, Globally

Hunger Hike is a fundraising event and also an exciting community event — THIS SUNDAY. It’s not too late to be a Fundraiser!

Hunger Hike is a family event for individuals & teams whose mission is to Raise Awareness & Make a Difference in the Fight Against Hunger. (And it’s Dog Friendly.) The goal this year is to raise $100,000 for food and nutrition programs locally, regionally and globally. The traditional Hunger Hike 1.5K Walk is THIS Sunday (September 18) from 1 – 3:30 p.m. at Riehle Plaza, N 2nd Street, Lafayette.

Below are the special highlights of the Hunger Hike kick-off event. For additional information on Hunger Hike 2022, please visit our website at hungerhike.org.

Donate – Hunger Hike
Raise Funds – Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike — Special Highlights & Surprises

Co-Chairs — Purdue Coaches Gearlds & Mitchell

The Hunger Hike 2022 honorary co-chairs are Purdue Coaches Katie Gearlds (women’s basketball) & Jason Mitchell (crew & rowing).

Coaches Gearlds & Mitchell are perfect ambassadors for Hunger Hike. Both set the bar high for their own work and their teams. They have a serious commitment to serving their community — especially in supporting food assistance and nutrition programs. The student-athletes on their teams might even be in attendance.

Meet Coaches Katie Gearlds & Jason Mitchell at the Hunger Hike kick-off event THIS Sunday at 1:45 p.m. (Riehle Plaza).

Purdue Spirit, Music, Ax Throwing, Zumba & More

Join us THIS Sunday for the Hunger Hike kick-off event.

  • At 1 – 2 p.m. (Riehle Plaza). DJ Powder from Rat Pak Mobile DJs will emcee and provide dance music at Hunger Hike. DJ Powder creates a family-friendly, festive environment during the kick-off of Hunger Hike.
  • The kick-off event will also feature Purdue Pete, the Purdue Cheer team and the Purdue Crew Team. The Purdue Cheer team will perform with Purdue Pete. Thanks to Purdue Athletics, and Purdue Crew Team for their support. There will be FREE Zumba, face painting, ax throwing, balloon animals, clowns, princesses, and massages.
  • At 1:45 p.m., there will be a short ceremony. Sheila Klinker, Indiana State Representative, will kick-off  Hunger Hike with the singing of the US National Anthem with her daughter, Kelly Jacob, followed by an invocation from the Reverend Dr. Hilary Cooke, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.  There will also be awards, including “oldest walker,” “youngest walker,” and “best new fundraiser.”
  • At 2:00 p.m., Hunger Hike supporters begin the 1.5K walk over the pedestrian bridge and around Tapawingo Park, the new family-friendly route. Along the way there will be live boat demos at the Purdue Boathouse, popsicles, and a magic show featuring Scott Starkey, the Wizard of the Wabash. The route ends back at Reihle Plaza with a picnic with hot dogs, chips, and bottled water.

Hunger Hike Countdown – Only Days To Go

Get Started Today – Raise Funds to Fight Hunger

Hunger Hike is a fundraising event and an exciting community celebration. Hunger Hike raises money to support the important work of Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc., and the St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry.

Sign up now for Hunger Hike 2022, and help fight hunger! Be a part of this community event to raise $100,000 for the hunger relief efforts locally, regionally & globally. Three Easy Ways to get involved:

There is only days to Hunger Hike. Start a team and start raising funds. Get started TODAY! It’s not too late.

Donate – Hunger Hike
Raise Funds – Hunger Hike

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES – If you wish to volunteer with Hunger Hike, click HERE to sign up online. Perfect for groups and individuals.

September is HUNGER Action Month

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5 Ways to Help During Hunger Action Month

  1. HUNGER HIKE – Invite your family & friends to join you in the fight to end hunger by donating and raising funds for the Hunger Hike fundraising event. Make it a fun competition, form a team, and celebrate at the Kick-off Event (Sunday, September 18 | 1 p.m. | Riehle Plaza, Lafayette, IN). Learn more HERE & sign up!
  2. VOLUNTEER – Both of the LUM Food Pantries rely on volunteer support. Spending a few hours each month volunteering can make an enormous difference for LUM Food Pantries and the local families served. Pledge to volunteer, click HERE & sign up!
  3. GO ORANGE – Put on your finest orange shirt, pants or accessories for Hunger Action Month and share a photo of yourself on social media. Tell others about the fight to end hunger using the hashtags #HungerHike, #HungerActionMonth, and #EndHungerNow.
  4. HUNGER FACTS – Some people believe that hunger isn’t an issue in America. But that simply isn’t true. Every county in the United States struggles with food insecurity. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Hoosiers struggle with hunger. Among Hoosier children, the number is 1 in 6. Learn about hunger in our community, click HERE.
  5. THANKSGIVING – Although it’s on Thanksgiving Day, the LUM Community Thanksgiving Feast (Thursday, November 24) is accepting donations and signing up volunteers NOW. Make a donation, sign up to donate needed items such as food items, paper products, pies, cleaning supplies, and or volunteer at the event. Help feed your neighbors, click HERE & sign up!

Go Orange for Hunger Hike

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September is #HungerActionMonth — and two ways you can help is to participate in Hunger Hike…and to GO ORANGE!

Put on your finest orange shirt, pants or accessories for Hunger Hike & Hunger Action Month — and share a photo of yourself on social media. Tell others about the fight to end hunger using the hashtags #HungerHike, #HungerActionMonth, and #EndHungerNow.

Some people believe that hunger isn’t an issue in America. But that simply isn’t true. Every county in the United States struggles with food insecurity. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Hoosiers struggle with hunger. Among Hoosier children, the number is 1 in 6. Learn about hunger in our community, click HERE.

Hunger Facts – 2022

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HUNGER HIKE – Did you know?

General Facts/Statistics

  • According to the USDA, the price of food purchased to eat at home increased 12.2% from June 2021 to June 2022. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/
  • According to the Washington Post, average rents in Tippecanoe County have increased 10.8% since 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/rising-rent-prices/
  • In July, Food Finders Food Bank experienced a 70% increase in visits to their Fresh Market Community Food Pantry over the same time last year
  • In the first half of the year, Lafayette Urban Ministry saw a 36% jump in visits to their food pantry over 2021.  The number of new food pantry clients went up 123%, and they saw a 33% increase in visits to their emergency shelter.
  • Food insecure adults are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure. They are also more likely to report mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, and poor general health. Seniors who are food insecure have a decreased capacity to maintain independence with aging.

Child Hunger Facts/Stats

  • According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Hoosiers struggle with hunger.  Among Hoosier children, the number is 1 in 6. Feeding America – IN (feedingamericaaction.org)
  • Children who face hunger are more likely to struggle in school and experience developmental setbacks. Kids who struggle to get enough to eat also face higher risks of health conditions like anemia and asthma.
  • In addition to decreased intellectual and emotional development and poor academic performance, children living in food insecure households are at higher risk of poor physical and mental health. They are substantially more likely to be diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, asthma, mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, cognitive impairment, and behavioral disorders. They are also at higher risk of being hospitalized. These health problems and the resulting time demands placed on caregivers impact the ability of caregivers to maintain stable employment.

Senior Hunger Facts/Stats

  • 12.7% of seniors in Indiana struggle with food insecurity –  2022-senior-report-state-summaries.pdf (americashealthrankings.org)
  • Seniors struggling with hunger often have to make the difficult decision between paying for rent, medication, or transportation and food.
  • For seniors, lack of access to healthy foods, or even a stable diet, can lead to life threatening medical conditions, such as disability, deteriorating health/ mental health conditions, serious infections, lengthy hospitalization, and malnutrition. The number one health condition caused by food insecurity among seniors is clinical (severe/major) depression. For more information on senior hunger, read The State of Senior Hunger 

NEW Hunger Hike Brand & Logo Unveiled

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In Celebration of the Hunger Hike 30th Anniversary

In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Hunger Hike, a new brand & logo has been created and unveiled.

  • HUNGER – To represent “hunger” and solidarity, two elements were included: a bowl and a heart (shape similar to bread)
  • HIKE – The bowl is joined with a shoe print, referencing the “hike” or walk
  • MOVEMENT – The typography is in italics, this gives a feeling of mobility that is reinforced by the letter “k”
  • SOLIDARITY – The delicacy of an act of solidarity combined with the strength of athletics (represented in the typography)
  • TRUST – The color blue symbolizes trust, health, and protection, which is ideal for an event of solidarity

The artist, Florencia Moreira from M-Design (Argentina), shared that, “You can see here the elements that came together to form the new brand & logo. The footprints (walk/hike) were combined with the bowl (hunger & food) and the heart (shape similar to bread) as a symbol of love and solidarity.” The Hunger Hike team is thrilled to unveil this new look in all of its promotions — including this year’s commemorative Hunger Hike T-shirt.

Hunger Hike will take place at Riehle Plaza (Lafayette, IN) in 17 days (Sunday, September 18). All Hunger Hike proceeds benefit the Lafayette Urban Ministry Food Programs, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. & St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry. To learn more about the sponsoring agencies, click HERE. For more information on how you can begin fundraising for Hunger Hike, please go to the official website — hungerhike.org.

Get Involved – Hunger Hike
Donate – Hunger Hike

Meet the Hunger Hike Honorary Co-chairs

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Coach Gearlds & Coach Mitchell Join the Fight

Coach Mitchell & Coach Gearlds and Wes Tillett, executive director, Lafayette Urban Ministry; Kier Crites Muller, chief engagement officer, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.; & Duane Sellers, St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry

Two prominent Purdue coaches announced this week that they will be teaming up with Hunger Hike to join the Fight Against Hunger.

This year’s Honorary Hunger Hike Co-chairs are Coach Katie Gearlds (women’s basketball) & Coach Jason Mitchell (rowing & crew). Both are passionate about the importance of Hunger Hike, the power of coming together as a community to Fight Hunger, and the value of Purdue students understanding the issues facing their university community. They issued a challenge to start fundraising now and to exceed this year’s goal of raising $100,000.

Coach Mitchell & Coach Gearlds, the 2022 Hunger Hike Co-chairs, are pictured (L to R seated) with the representatives from the three sponsoring organizations (pictured standing L to R) Wes Tillett, executive director, Lafayette Urban Ministry; Kier Crites Muller, chief engagement officer, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.; & Duane Sellers, St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry. Each shared how vital this annual fundraiser is to funding the food programs necessary to addressing the current needs of the families — locally, regionally and abroad. To learn more about Coach Mitchell & Coach Gearlds, click HERE.

Hunger Hike will take place at Riehle Plaza (Lafayette, IN) on Sunday, September 18. For more information on how you can begin fundraising for Hunger Hike, please go to the official website — hungerhike.org.

Get Involved
Donate – Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike – 30 Days to the Kickoff Event

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Hunger Hike is coming soon. Why not get started NOW? Here’s what you need to know to begin raising money and “fighting hunger.”

Hunger Hike is an annual community fundraising event whose mission is to Raise Awareness & Make a Difference in the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally & globally. Hunger Hike (Celebration & 1.5K Walk) event details are as follows:

  • DATE – Sunday, September 18
  • TIMES – 1 p.m. – Event begins; 2 p.m. – Hike starts
  • PLACE – Riehle Plaza, N 2nd Street, Lafayette, IN

Hunger Hike is the perfect event for a team or group — church group, student organization, civic group or your family. Put together a Hunger Hike team and start raising money using our online fundraising site — or any way you choose. We hope you’ll consider joining our Fight against Hunger.

Sign Up – Hunger Hike
Donate – Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike – 38 Days to the Kickoff Event

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Hunger Hike is coming soon. Why not get started NOW? Here’s what you need to know to begin raising money and “fighting hunger.”

Hunger Hike is an annual community fundraising event whose mission is to Raise Awareness & Make a Difference in the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally & globally. Hunger Hike (Celebration & 1.5K Walk) event details are as follows:

  • DATE – Sunday, September 18
  • TIMES – 1 p.m. – Event begins; 2 p.m. – Hike starts
  • PLACE – Riehle Plaza, N 2nd Street, Lafayette, IN

Hunger Hike is the perfect event for a team or group — church group, student organization, civic group or your family. Put together a Hunger Hike team and start raising money using our online fundraising site — or any way you choose. We hope you’ll consider joining our Fight against Hunger.

Sign Up – Hunger Hike
Donate – Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike 2022 — Needed More Than Ever

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Mark Your Calendars – Sunday, September 18

Planning for Hunger Hike 2022 has begun — and all indications suggest it may be needed now more than ever. Did you know…

  • Food prices increased 7.9 percent since 2021
  • Food insecurity has increased among families with children and communities of color due to COVID-19
  • Rural communities are especially hard hit by hunger
  • Many households that experience food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs
  • Hunger in African American, Latino, and Native American communities is higher in large part due to systemic racial injustice (Source: Feeding America)

Hunger Hike is a community fundraising event whose mission is to Raise Awareness & Make a Difference in the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally, & globally. Hunger Hike is open to participants of all ages and abilities who share a common goal: Fighting Hunger! Mark your calendars (Sunday, September 18, 1 p.m.), check out the Hunger Hike website, recruit your team, and begin planning your fundraising. Your participation will have a much needed positive impact on eliminating hunger.

Hunger Hike is a perfect fundraising event for your group — student organization, church group, civic group, team or family. Put together a Hunger Hike team and start raising money using our online fundraising site — or any other way you choose.

All Hunger Hike proceeds directly support the Lafayette Urban Ministry food assistance programs including the two LUM Food Pantries; Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.; and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Haitian Ministry. This is YOUR opportunity to support these outstanding local organizations while engaging in a meaningful and fun community event.

We hope you’ll consider joining our Fight against Hunger. Here’s how to get started:

| Donate Online | Hunger Hike—Online Fundraising |

If you are a business owner — you also may become a Hunger Hike sponsor. For more information on how to become 2022 Event Sponsor, email hungerhike@lumserve.org.