February 4, 2008   •   VOL. 46, NO. 3   •   Oakland, CA

Fighting hunger: one rice bowl at a time
 

By Voice staff

During Lent, Catholics throughout the Oakland Diocese will participate in Operation Rice Bowl to help raise funds to alleviate hunger in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America as well as the U.S. Last year, $116,446 was raised in 63 East Bay parishes

Participants in the program, sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, promise to eat less than they normally would and to put the extra money in cardboard bowls –symbolic rice bowls – distributed through their parishes. At the end of Lent, the bowls are collected and the money sent to CRS.

Last year, more than 14,000 parishes, schools and community groups in the U.S. raised $8 million. Seventy-five percent of the money funded food security projects in agriculture, water and sanitation, as well as microfinance and maternal and child health in 40 countries. The remaining 25 percent stays in U.S. dioceses to support local projects like food pantries and soup kitchens.

The program is based on seven principles of Catholic social teaching: dignity of the human person; right to participate in family and community decisions; rights to life, food, shelter, education and employment; obligation to reach out to those most in need; dignity of work and rights of workers; solidarity with all people; care for God’s creation.

As part of its program, Operation Rice Bowl offers meatless recipes similar to those prepared by people living in impoverished countries. This year the traditional recipes come from Guatemala, Mali, India, Haiti and Cameroon. Two are listed at left.

Other recipes as well as a Lenten home calendar guide with daily reflections, prayers, and information about the challenges of people served by CRS can be found at http://orb.crs.org

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