Rice Bowl helps feed impoverished families worldwide

A popular Lenten program that has been providing relief to the needy worldwide for more than four decades is now in full swing.

CRS Rice Bowl launched at the beginning of Lent and will conclude Easter Sunday, said Catherine Weidert, communications coordinator for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, which facilitates the local Rice Bowl drive.

“If you put a dollar a day (into the Rice Bowl box) for the 40 days of Lent you can provide one month of food for a family or two years of seed for a farmer,” Weidert said.

She noted that 75 percent of the money collected goes to Catholic Relief Services but emphasized that 25 percent stays locally. She added the majority of the local dollars is used to fund Sanctuary for Life, a CCDBR program which provides housing for pregnant women who are at least 18 years of age. 

“When we help others in need we are caring for Jesus,” Weidert said. “We need to help those who are less fortunate and those most in need.

“Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and it is a great time for focusing on that and bring it back to what it is all about.”

Weidert said the iconic Rice Bowl boxes are available at churches and several schools also distribute them through the students. Churches also will often place a bulletin announcement and the pastor will use the homily to discuss the drive.

Weidert said CRS Rice Bowl also encourages families to pray together. She said the Rice Bowl website offers various activities and prayers that families can participate in together.

“It’s all about coming together through prayer, almsgiving and being grateful for what you have and realize how you can help those who are less fortunate,” Weidert said.

Rice Bowl began more than 40 years ago when Catholics in the United States organized relief efforts to respond to famine in Africa. The help came in the form of a small cardboard box in 1975, which was the genesis of Operation Rice Bowl, in church parishes in Allentown. Pennsylvania. 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted Operation Rice Bowl in 1976 and one year later made the decision to make it an official program of CRS. 

In its first 40 years, CRS Rice Bowl has generated more than $250 million in donations. 

Additional resources for families, dioceses, educators, parish leaders and young people can be found on the 
crsricebowl.org and crsplatodearroz.org websites. 

“I’m excited to see the Catholics in the community come together and help people across the world fight hunger, malnutrition and poverty,” said Weinert, who was recently hired at CCDBR and is coordinating her first Rice Bowl campaign.