HARC grieves the loss of long-time member, volunteer and advocate Rev. Ed Poling, who passed away last week following a long journey with cancer. He is a loss to HARC and the community, but his spirit and impact will be felt indefinitely.
Ed was part of the team that started the Interfaith Coalition (now HARC Interfaith Team) in 2002, building relationships and understanding among faith groups. Through this, he helped start the Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service which is held each year; this year Ed was the featured speaker. Ed also started the Good Friday Cross Walk (now Unity Walk), bringing Christians of all denominations together for this holy day; he led the planning for this event for many years and continued to participate through 2024.
While he was a gentle and kind soul, Ed also had great energy and drive. With his love of running and hiking and devotion to HARC’s purpose and vision, Ed started the HARC Hike in 2012 when he hiked the 42 miles of
the Appalachian Trail in Maryland all in one day to raise funds for HARC. It was his leadership and logistical skills that helped us make this into a real fundraiser for HARC, Micah’s Backpack, and now the Refugee Welcome Network, growing each year and raising more than $240,000 over the last twelve years. Ed personally raised more than $45,000 with this hike, most of which was while leading the 20-mile Challenge Hike on the AT, while still coordinating the main hike on the C&O Canal Towpath.
Because of his great contributions to HARC and because HARC wouldn’t have the HARC Hike for Hunger & Hope without his gifts and dedication, we have decided to rename the event the Ed Poling Memorial Hike for Hunger & Hope in his honor.
Ed was an incredible blessing to HARC to the community, and to many of us personally. We will all miss him greatly, but we know that he is whole and at peace, living his next life with the Lord our God to the fullest.
A memorial service for Ed Poling will be held on February 1, 2024 at 11:00 am at the Hagerstown Church of the Brethren. It will be preceded by a visitation at the church at 10:00. Following the service there will be a meal and a time for sharing memories. Here is a link to his obituary.
Here is a Remembering Ed Poling tribute in pictures from HARC’s Annual Meeting January 14. You can also view the recording of the 11/19/24 Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service to see Ed speak about gratitude amid his battle with cancer. We’re so grateful he was able to be part of this service.