By Voice staff

On Ash Wednesday of 1975, Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. international humanitarian agency, introduced Operation Rice Bowl to United States Catholics as a new Lenten practice to help them learn about the plight of the world’s poor and give them the opportunity to help alleviate hunger.

Each Lent since then, parishes and schools in more than 13,000 communities have used CRS’ symbolic cardboard rice bowls as the focal point for prayer, fasting and learning about poverty. They’ve prepared simple, meatless recipes each week and put the money they otherwise would have spent on a big meal into these bowls. Thirty-five years later, their generosity has totaled more than $173 million to pay for hunger and poverty projects in 40 countries.

The commitment continues. Last year Catholics gave more than $6 million, said Beth Martin, CRS program manager for Operation Rice Bowl. She credits this generosity with “having helped thousands of people onto a path out of poverty.”

Seventy five percent of all Operation Rice Bowl funds are used for international relief and development projects while 25 percent is kept locally in each diocese to help support food pantries and soup kitchens.

Last year’s Rice Bowl funds provided local grants to 13 groups working to alleviate hunger in the Oakland Diocese. They are:

• The Central American Refugee Committee of the East Bay (CRECE) and the Oakland Catholic Worker, $800 each.

• The Kmhmu Laotian Pastoral Center of Berkeley, $700.

Grants of $600 each went to:

• Interfaith Sharing, Inc., Livermore

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul Hope Conference, Contra Costa County

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Edward Church, Newark

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Felicitas Church, San Leandro

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Concord

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Mark Church, Richmond

• Tri-Valley Haven, Livermore.

Receiving $500 each were:

• St, Martin de Porres Regional School, Oakland

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Most Holy Rosary Church, Antioch

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Catherine of Siena Church, Martinez.

This year’s Operation Rice Bowl begins on February 17. For further information go to www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org.

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