The Journey for Hope is coming up on September 27, 2025, and teams are signing up from across the country. As we reflect on the last three years of this initiative through which congregations have supported PWS&D’s food security work, we’re grateful for the dedication of participants and those who have contributed to their journeys.

Darlene Vandermey, who has led the team at Gale Presbyterian Church in Elmira, Ont., each year, reflected in past years: “The Journey for Hope project of global food security is something everyone on the team and all those who donated to Gale Riders earnestly wanted to support. I’ve always been a very strong believer in PWS&D in general, and Journey for Hope is a way of actively supporting, in addition to monetarily supporting, PWS&D.” 

Victoria Banfield, captain of Team Lightning Bolt, a group of dedicated cyclists in Markham, Ont., who were involved in biking fundraisers even before the Journey for Hope began, shares: “We really appreciate having the chance to help others in a tangible way. We love supporting PWS&D, knowing how hard they are working to bring about a just and equitable world.”

If you haven’t yet considered joining the Journey for Hope, now is the perfect time. Here are just a few reasons to participate!

• By participating in Journey for Hope, you can be part of bringing about a more sustainable, compassion and just world. The funds raised go towards meeting nutritional needs for those who do not have enough nutritious food to live full, active lives.

• Enjoy being outside this summer and get active as you train for the walk or ride.

• Get to know others in your community by advertising the Journey for Hope in your community’s newspaper, at the local library or on the supermarket bulletin board.

• Bring together your congregation to run the event, enjoying fellowship as you do so. Opportunities to serve include manning a table to receive donations on Sunday mornings, preparing food for before or after your journey, and participating in the event itself.

• Explore different ways your congregation likes to participate: like games and puzzles! After the 2022 Journey for Hope, the Rev. William Ball, of the Edmonton Lakeland Amblers, recounted: “Most of us gathered at Dayspring Presbyterian Church where people put together as many puzzles as possible in 2 hours, played cribbage, ping-pong and Dungeons and Dragons. Another group set off along the picturesque White Mud Creek Ravine trail.”

To learn more about the Journey for Hope and find out how to join the team participating in your area, visit WeRespond.ca/JourneyForHope.