Continuously walking past the cardboard box on your counter, forgetting it’s mission and those who rely on it, forgetting its purpose….
Is that something you have experienced?
‘My few dollars probably don’t even make a difference,’ you may think to yourself.
Wrong. They can make all the difference.
“In 1975, CRS Rice Bowl began in Allentown, Pennsylvania as a response to the devastating drought in famine affecting families in the Sahel region of Africa,” according to Catholic Relief Services.
In the following year the project was repeated for the 41st Eucharistic Congress, and the year following that it was voted by the bishops in the United States to be the official program of CRS.
This year, “Rice Bowl program is celebrating its 50th year of funding hungry and poverty alleviation efforts around the world,” shares Catholic Relief Services. With the help of over 12,000 Catholic parishes and schools throughout the United States, it has collected more than $350 million since its creation.
Unfortunately, hunger around the world has not lessened, and in some areas it has even increasing. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has recorded that if efforts to achieve the United Nation’s Zero Hunger goal are left unchecked, upwards of 580 million people could be left chronically undernourished by 2030, just five short years away.
Currently, the number of people facing some level of food insecurity stands at 340 million, “ ”
But don’t let this discourage you. Rice Bowl provides “lifesaving support” to over 200 million people in over 120 countries.
On Charity Navigator “this charity’s score is 81%, earning it a Three-Star rating” in Accountability and Finance, enabling you to trust the organization and management of the proceedings from Rice Bowl.
Regarding the allocation of funds, the St. Louis Review, “Twenty-five percent of the money raised by the Rice Bowl in the Archdiocese of St. Louis goes to local groups. In 2024, the funds were divided among nine food pantries in the archdiocese, three in each vicariate.”
These vicariates include St. Vincent de Paul at Epiphany of Our Lord Food Pantry, St. Agnes Apartments Food Pantry, Our Lady Perpetual Help Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul at St. Bridget of Kildare Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul at Sacred Heart (Troy) Food Pantry, St. Francis Borgia Parish Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul at St. Agnes Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul at St. Joseph (Bonne Terre) Food Pantry, and St. Vincent de Paul at Immaculate Conception (park Hills) Food Pantry.
The personal story of Amina Bukhara, a mother in Nigeria who received the benefits of CRS Rice Bowl is moving in recognizing the impacts Rice Bowl has on families.
Her story can be found here, https://www.crsricebowl.org/stories-of-hope/week-2 and demonstrates how Rice Bowl helped her turn her and her family’s life around, enabling them to prepare more nutritious meals such as eggs and yams for breakfast.
These statistics and stories illustrate the dire need for their support. Many families are relying on the money ILS donates as it could lead to their whole lives being turned around for the better. To celebrate the 50th year of the program, the ILS community should work hard to raise the greatest amount of money ever to donate to such a worthy cause.
