Bridgewell recruiters tell hunger to take a hike

LYNNFIELD – It?s one thing to say you?re walking for a great cause, but it?s another thing to know people affected by statewide hunger.Carl Baker, of Littleton, and Cecilia Carr, of Peabody, both Bridgewell recruiters in Lynnfield?s office, are teaming up with 40,000 participants to walk 20 miles Sunday in the Greater Boston Walk for Hunger, spearheaded by Project Bread.Project Bread aims to raise hunger awareness statewide, and Sunday?s walk is the largest public fundraising walk in the Commonwealth. Bridgewell tends to individuals with disabilities and other special needs. Both organizations are committed to not only ending hunger, but also providing healthy, nutritious food, according to Inge Peters, director of human resources.But Baker and Carr know people who have been affected by hunger.Carr lived in Cluj, Romania, the second most populous city after Bucharest, during the Communist dictatorship, which lasted until 1989. She moved to America in 2003.?There was a rationing, where the government decided how much food each person was provided,” Carr said. “I grew up with a garden, having access to fresh food, but I knew people in my community who didn?t.”Carr, who is team captain of 15 people from Bridgewell, will walk for the sixth year, because, she said, no one should go hungry, especially children. Walkers will come from the Bridgewell offices in the Merrimack Valley area and Lowell.?It?s my way of giving back,” Carr said. “It?s a lot of fun. You get to hear people?s stories of why they?re walking. Older folks have a sign noting how many walks they?ve done. I can?t put a number on it, but it?s a lot.”Carr raised $650 while her team raised close to $1,000.?This is a great example of staff engagement at Bridgewell,” said Peters. “We are very proud of our staff for forming a team and going the extra mile to help people in need through working at Bridgewell as well as participating in the Walk for Hunger.”Baker comes from a single-parent household, raised by his mother, Trenna. Although he never went hungry, he knew those who did.?We didn?t struggle, but I did know the feeling of what it?s like to not have things in abundance,” Baker said. “It?s a great cause. Anytime that I see a good volunteer opportunity, I tend to go for it.”Baker raised $120 mostly through social media, including Facebook. He is training for it by biking a weekly 25-mile loop from Ayer to Nashua, N.H. Carr added it takes six to seven hours, depending on the weather.?I also trained by thinking about it,” Carr joked. “20 miles is a long walk.”Bridgewell, as a whole, is supportive of the trek.Bridgewell president and CEO Bob Stearns said Bridgewell employees have a passion for service.?Not only do they add value in the lives of people in Bridgewell programs, but also participate and support other charities and organizations doing good throughout the state,” Stearns said. “Just another example of an incredible team of employees at Bridgewell.”Darcy Pfeifer, of Brookline, director of institutional advancement at Project Bread, provided the route: it starts at Boston Common, up Beacon Street, past Boston College, to Newton Center, down Summer Street, Newton, Watertown with a stop at Memorial Drive Park to have lunch, and returns to Boston Common.Pfeifer said besides special needs organizations, such as Bridgewell, school and church groups walk.?It?s an amazing movement,” Pfeifer said. “There?s more than one corporate sponsor. We take over the streets of Boston and march – hoping we can end this crisis.”