Walkathon for Poor

Austin Attorney Walks 500 Miles for the Poor

	(L to R) Patrick Hall, Thomas Hall, Conor Hall, Maura Hall.Their final day's walk into Santiago coincided with a 6-inch downpour. They were drenched, but happy to have completed their walk along the Camino de Santiago.
Related Items: See Photos from the Trek Support his Walkathon for the Poor

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2014) – Thomas Hall, an attorney at Braun & Gresham, PLLC in Dripping Springs, Texas, walked the Camino de Santiago, an ancient Christian pilgrimage route in northern Spain, for 37 days to raise money for charity.

Hall’s goal is to raise $30,000 to be donated to Food For The Poor and two other charities. Inspired by Food For The Poor’s mission to bring clean water to those in need, Hall hopes to raise enough money to drill and install two water wells in Haiti.

“The fact that Mr. Hall has walked 500 miles to provide clean water for those who have to walk miles every day in search of water, which is often contaminated, is truly amazing,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “On behalf of the people we serve, we want to sincerely thank Mr. Hall for his generosity.”

Three of Hall’s four children, twin sons Patrick and Conor, age 25, and daughter Maura, 24, joined him on his 500-mile journey. They reunited in Pamplona, Spain, in time to celebrate his 60th birthday.

“Sometimes I would walk with each of my children individually, sometimes the four of us would walk together, and sometimes I needed to walk alone instead of trying to keep up with younger legs,” wrote Hall, who said there is no substitute for that kind of one-on-one time.

“Together we crossed the Alto del Perdon Mountain Range, where a series of iconic iron monuments of medieval pilgrims stand,” wrote Hall on his website. “According to legend, pilgrims who made it this far were assured of their spiritual health in the event of death.”

Conor, a cancer survivor, commemorated the journey by taking a photo next to one of the iron figurines holding a sign that read, “Outliving it!”    

“Legend says that when the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was being built, pilgrims were asked to contribute by bringing a stone,” wrote Hall, who carried a piece of brown sandstone with a white stripe from the southern shore of Lake Superior, where he grew up. “The tradition is to throw a stone here, brought from the pilgrim's place of origin, symbolizing what the pilgrim leaves behind to prepare for rebirth on the last stage of the Camino.

“Before I left for Spain, I sent out an email with a picture of a stone to family, friends, donors and supporters,” wrote Hall. “Many people added their prayers and intentions to this token. I carried it for all, and laid it down at Cruz de Ferro on your behalf.”

On October 15, Hall completed his 500-mile walk. His pilgrim passport was stamped each day at the hostels where he stayed, and the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago, Spain, confirmed Hall completed the route by issuing a certificate of completion.

Hall also carried a small portion of the cremated remains of his friend, Russell Schreiber, who died of cancer in May. At sunset, Hall released Schreiber's ashes into the sea at Ara Solis, the altar to the sun, to give thanks and mark the end of his pilgrimage.

To help Hall reach his fundraising goal to bring water to those in need, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/caminowalkathon to make a secure donation.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Man to Walk 500 Miles

New Mexico Man Steps Up His Goal in 500-Mile Walk

	Daniel Valdez (far right) has spent recent months preparing for his third 500-mile walk from Lovington, N.M., to Chihuahua, Mexico, starting on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014. Walking approximately 33 miles a day, sometimes picking up supporters along the way, as seen here.
Related Items: See Photos from Daniel's Walk Follow Daniel's Route

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 8, 2014) – When it comes to the hurting, homeless and the hungry in the world, New Mexico resident Daniel Valdez has decided to make their plight his motivation for change. This year, Valdez will walk to provide a very special gift that’s called “Everything for a Family with Nothing” through Food For The Poor.

“I’ve seen homeless people who live on the street and it’s very hard to watch,” Valdez said. “I don’t wish that on anyone, and when I see a homeless family with children, it really breaks my heart.”          

For the third year, Valdez is preparing to embark on an arduous journey that’s becoming an annual event for him, walking 500 miles through more than a dozen U.S. cities, and across the border and into Mexico. The 52-year-old Valdez has spent months preparing for his third 500-mile walk, which will begin on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, in his hometown of Lovington, New Mexico, and end in Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico. 

Valdez’s gift this year will allow Food For The Poor to provide a poor family with a new house with sanitation and water component, rice and beans for a full year, a small business project to help provide a source of income, school supplies for two children (including books and uniforms), clothing and shoes.

“What Mr. Valdez is planning is no easy task, we are sincerely touched by his desire to not only call attention to the needs of the poor, but to help a family who has absolutely nothing,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “One of Food For The Poor’s key projects has been building homes in the countries we serve, and Mr. Valdez’s generosity will allow us to make a world of difference in the lives of a family that is in dire need.”

Following 6 a.m. Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Lovington, Valdez will start walking at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, in front of the Lea County Courthouse, which is located at 100 North Main Ave., Lovington, NM.

His route covers points in New Mexico and passes through the communities of 1. Lovington, N.M. 2. Hobbs, N.M. 3. Eunice, N.M. 4. Jal, N.M. 5. Kermit, Texas  6.Wink, Texas 7. Pyote, Texas 8. Coyanosa, Texas 9. Alpine, Texas 10. Marfa, Texas 11. Shafter, Texas 12. Presidio, Texas 13. Ojinaga, CH, Mexico 14. Aldama, CH, Mexico 15. Chihuahua, CH, Mexico 16. Delicias, CH, Mexico. To see a video animation of Valdez’s 500-mile journey please click www.FoodForThePoor.org/mapofroute.

This year, Valdez will push the limits of his mission by visiting two additional cities in Mexico, where he will hold two different events. He will travel to Satevo, Chihuahua, where he will do a 10 to15-mile walk, followed by a visit to Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, where he will wrap up his mission with a 5K Run on Jan. 6, 2015, on the festive day of Dia de Reyes (Kings’ Day).

The idea of helping the poor was a decade in the making for Valdez, who has been running in regional races for 10 years. It was during one of these runs from Hobbs, New Mexico, to his hometown of Lovington, with longtime friend and priest, the Rev. Manuel Ibarra, that he felt the call to action. After some encouraging words from his friend and with the support of his wife, four children and his congregation, his first 500-mile walk took place in 2012.

Last year, a portion of the proceeds from Valdez’s second 500-mile walk went toward Food For The Poor’s general feeding program, which provides hundreds of thousands of meals each day to the hungry in the 17 countries the international relief and development organization serves.

“It makes me happy to know there’s hope for people. It is God who made this possible and this is what keeps me going. I never want to quit, because when I think about the needs of the people, I want to help and it drives me to keep going,” said Valdez. “I like helping people, especially the poor. Doing so makes me feel close to God.”

Valdez’s parents will trail him on his journey, driving in the family’s RV, which is where Valdez will sleep at night.

To help Valdez reach his goal, visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/danielvaldez and make a secure online donation.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Man to Walk 500 Miles

Texas Man to Walk 500 Miles for the Poor

	Patrick Hall (24), Maura Hall (23), and Conor Hall (24), left to right, have decided to join their father for his 500-mile journey along the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Funds raised will benefit Food For The Poor and two other charities.
Related Item: Pledge a Donation

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (August 5, 2014) – With much faith and a desire to raise awareness about the needs of those who are often forgotten, Thomas Hall is preparing to embark on the challenge of a lifetime. Beginning on the first week of September, Hall will begin a 500-mile walk along the Camino de Santiago, an ancient Christian pilgrimage route in northern Spain.
 
The inspiration for his walk began many years ago when Hall, 15 at the time, was grieving the loss of his father, who had died from cancer at the age of 61. Struggling to cope, Hall decided to join some of his high school friends on a retreat to learn about a fundraiser sponsored by the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation.

Inspired, they decided to participate in a 26-mile walkathon the following year. The walk was part of a nationally coordinated event in which more than 150,000 people participated, walking over 2 million miles and raising more than $1 million dollars to fight hunger.

“The walk was always important to me because it was the first step in a larger transition that included learning how to channel my grief into something meaningful,” said Hall.

Now, decades later, Hall experienced the same itch to walk again. Hall will not be walking alone, however. Three of his four children, twin sons Patrick and Conor, age 24, and daughter Maura, age 23, have decided to join him on his 500-mile journey. They will celebrate his 60th birthday along the way.

“My father has dreamed about walking the Camino for a long time now,” said Conor Hall. “He has always supported my dreams, no matter how crazy they seemed, and now I get to reciprocate and help him in going after his.”

With The Leo J. Dowd Foundation pledging to match the first $5,000 raised, Hall hopes to raise $30,000 in pledges by Aug. 15. The money raised will be donated to Food For The Poor and two other charities. Inspired by Food For The Poor’s mission to bring clean water to those in need, Hall hopes to raise enough money to build two water wells that could provide water to more than 8,000 people in Haiti.

“When we learned about Mr. Hall’s mission we were moved by his compassionate desire to raise awareness about the needs of the truly destitute,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “The fact that he will be walking 500 miles to provide clean water for those who have to walk miles every day in search of water, which is often contaminated, is truly amazing. On behalf of the people we serve, we want to sincerely thank Mr. Hall for his generosity.”

To help Hall reach his fundraising goal to bring water to those in need, visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/camino  or http://pilgrimspurpose.weebly.com/ to make a secure donation.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.