As Ash Wednesday arrived Feb. 22, parishes and schools throughout the Diocese of Camden will once again be asked to distribute Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowls to support those who are living with hunger and poverty throughout the world.
Adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1976, the Operation Rice Bowl campaign has supported more than 190 million hungry and malnourished people across 100-plus countries throughout its history.
“The past year has been hard on so many families around the world,” said Beth Martin, CRS’ director of Formation and Mobilization, noting that ongoing conflicts, extreme weather events and widespread inflation have made it more difficult for families to put food on their tables.
“We’ve seen an increase in global hunger because of a kind of perfect storm of multiple factors. CRS Rice Bowl is a great way for U.S. Catholics to show our sisters and brothers in these difficult situations that they are not forgotten, and that we will continue to stand in solidarity with them.”
Participating dioceses receive 25 percent of collected funds to aid local programs that feed the hungry and help alleviate poverty. Last year, with the familiar cardboard boxes placed in homes, parishes and classrooms, the Diocese of Camden collected $90,099.59 for the Rice Bowl campaign and received back $23,524.90.
Among those who benefited from last year’s campaign was Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish’s food pantries in Woodbine and Marmora. These pantries fed 1,784 families in 2022, said coordinators Jacqueline Olansen and Sara Bartleson.
“The Rice Bowl grant continues to assist the parish in providing families with nutritional food including a protein, milk, cereal and eggs each week as well as vegetables, pasta, and peanut butter and jelly,” the coordinators said.
“Our clients are grateful for the food we provide and for the caring support they receive as well. With continuing support from the Rice Bowl grant, private donors and donations from our parishioners, our food pantries will be able to serve those in need in our local area.”
To learn more about the global communities served by the program, find meatless recipes from around the world and print do-it-yourself Rice Bowl labels, visit www.crsricebowl.org.
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