Operation Rice Bowl

Operation Rice Bowl is the official Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services. Each Lent, parishes, school and other faith communities participate in Operation Rice Bowl to learn more about the work of CRS and put their faith into action. As a Lenten solidarity program, Operation Rice Bowl calls Catholics to reach out to assist our brothers and sisters around the world through the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving while learning about their lives overseas. This year, join over 15,400 groups in the United States participating in Operation Rice Bowl and foster solidarity between your community and those who struggle with hunger and poverty around the world.

The Operation Rice Bowl 2007 featured countries are Mexico, Pakistan, Angola, Cambodia and Niger . Through stories, photos and recipes from these featured countries, participants learn about the joys and challenges in the lives our brothers and sisters overseas. By signing up for the Operation Rice Bowl Online Community, participants also receive weekly emails during Lent which contain reflections on the 2007 featured countries.

To create an enriching Lenten experience for your entire faith community, Operation Rice Bowl provides resources to help coordinate and publicize your community's participation, including public service announcements for television and radio.

Operation Rice Bowl has served as a tangible way for Catholics in the United States to connect in solidarity with our brothers and sisters overseas for over 30 years. Find out more about Operation Rice Bowl's History, receive answers to your Frequently Asked Questions, or contact us to learn more about how you can become involved in this Lenten tradition.

Your support helps families around the world through Catholic Relief Services' development projects.

75% of Rice Bowl proceeds come to Catholic Relief Services and help fund development projects designed to increase food security in communities in over 40 countries around the world.

• Agriculture projects help farmers improve crop yields.
• Microfinance projects encourage the growth of small businesses.
• Mother and Child Health projects provide basic health and nutrition services.
• Education projects provide resources and training.
• HIV/AIDS projects support the local Catholic Church in communities around the world in addressing the many needs of people affected by this disease.

25% of contributions support hunger and poverty alleviation efforts in dioceses in the United States.

Labels: Charities