I'm hiking the C&O Canal on September 11 to raise money for HARC.   Please make a small donation to help me reach my goal.  

Your donation benefits HARC's important programs including Michah's Backpack, which provides nutritious food to food-insecure children in Washington County.

The Hike for Hunger & Hope is HARC’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

HARC Hike for Hunger & Hope is a non-competitive fundraising event open to all ages. This fully supported hike on the beautiful C&O Canal towpath features 4 K (2.5 miles), 10 K (6.2 miles), and half marathon (13.1 miles) hikes, to include everyone from casual to serious hikers and runners. Participants can look forward to scenic water views, water & Gatorade refills along the way.

Proceeds will benefit HARC programs, including Micah’s Backpack, which provides nutritious food to food-insecure children in Washington County, MD.  Micah’s Backpack is a collaborative effort between 50 churches and organizations in Washington County, serving more than 1,000 children with weekend meals.

The Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) is a coalition of faith community partners in Washington County, Maryland.  While HARC’s partner congregations can differ greatly on theology, all agree on the strength of working together to build a better community, help those in need, and support one another.

We believe we can do more TOGETHER to embody mercy, justice and love as diverse faith partners in Washington County.

We seek to fulfill this vital mission in the following ways:

Mercy Ministry: 

• We believe no child should ever go hungry!  Micah's Backpack serves more than 1,000 children with nutritious food for the weekends through a partnership of nearly 50 churches and organizations.
• Food & Clothing Resources - HARC maintains a list of food pantries, soup kitchens and clothing banks in Washington County. We also post/share information about summer food and other food programs.

Justice Ministry: 

• Through our "Enough for our Children" initiative, we seek ways to ensure that all children in Washington County have enough:  enough food, education, stability, and emotional support to thrive.  This initiative includes serving through Learning Parties, teaching parents how to prepare their pre-school age children for school, and through training community members about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how to prevent and heal childhood trauma.
• We believe that all people are made in the image of God and loved by God equally.  We strive to bring about equal opportunities for all people in Washington County through our Racial Justice initiative.

Interfaith Coalition

We celebrate 20 years of HARC's Interfaith Coalition!  Birthed out of the tragedy of 9-11-2001, the Interfaith Coalition exists to bring people of different beliefs together to promote peace, respect, and compassion in our local community. Through dialogue and public presence, we welcome each person’s unique spiritual perspective, strive to learn more about each other, and seek to honor the diversity of our various traditions.

Information and Resources: 

Find information, resources and events listings on our website at www.harccoalition.org. Also sign up for HARC’s weekly News Flash for a rich assortment of news, events, and information geared specifically to the faith community.  HARC also connects congregations and organizations with similar passions and interests to have a greater impact in their work.

Fellowship and Support: 

HARC fosters activities that connect and support clergy and congregations. 

Public Witness: 

HARC organizes and sponsors community events such as a Good Friday Cross Walk, Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service, and the Hagerstown Historic Houses of Worship Tour.