St. John Fisher students Brian Bullington, Julia Carey and Teresa Damoto prepare rice bowls for their classmates who will fill them with change that otherwise would have been spent on drinks, candy, etc.

By Hilary Anderson
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

People can make a difference. That’s the message from Adrienne Curry and Father Frank Latzko. The two are garnering support for Operation Rice Bowl—the official Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which once again is being made available to parishes throughout the Chicago Archdiocese.

“Operation Rice Bowl is a program that offers simple, practical ways to observe Lent and show our concern for others,” said Curry, program coordinator for the archdiocesan Office for Peace and Justice.

“I am absolutely passionate about the program.”

The Operation Rice Bowl materials—available at no charge—offer a variety of activities for children, young people and adults that help them observe Lent. Prayer, fasting, learning and giving are the cornerstones of the 25-year-old program.

An educator guide in the packet enables teachers to integrate Operation Rice Bowl into their own curriculum and not just during religion classes, according to Curry. Stories and photos accompany the educator guides and provide information about CRS’s work overseas. A videotape shows viewers some of the people and places still in need of help from projects like Operation Rice Bowl.

Home calendars—another component of the program—give daily reflections, fasting ideas, weekly activity suggestions in keeping with Lent and recipe ideas relevant to one of the 90 countries served by CRS. This year the organization focuses on the needs of the poor living in Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, India and Ethiopia.

The program’s theme in 2001 is “Who Is Your Neighbor?” It invites participants to look at every member of the human family as being their neighbor.

“Operation Rice Bowl is a wonderful program that enables participants to reach out to those in missionary territories, including right here at home,” said Latzko, associate pastor at St. John Fisher Parish on the Southwest Side.

“Parish leaders can participate in a variety of ways. I encourage them to take a close look at the beauty and benefits of this program.”

His parish is deeply involved in Operation Rice Bowl.

Days before Ash Wednesday, school children at St. John Fisher make their own versions of rice bowls in which they will put money that otherwise would have been spent on desserts, drinks, candy or less important items.

“They’re a cardboard version of a poor box,” said Latzko. “These ‘rice bowls’ help the children identify with people who are not of their culture or country.”

Latzko integrates Operation Rice Bowl into the homilies along with the Scriptures. His parish holds prayer services and prays for the people of Operation Rice Bowl.

If money is any indication, Latzko’s parishioners believe just as strongly in Operation Rice Bowl. The parish last year raised about $10,000 for the program. The school children alone brought in nearly $5,000.

Curry says one of the pluses of the program is that 100 percent of the money donated by parishes and individuals to Operation Rice Bowl goes directly to help people. CRS pays the cost of creating, printing and distributing program materials through other funds.

“Seventy-five percent of that money goes overseas and the other 25 percent stays in the archdiocese for places that have a designated need, such as food pantries or soup kitchens,” added Curry.

“Contributions to Operation Rice Bowl help both overseas and at home.”

She says that of the $200,000 donated to the program last year by parishes in the Archdiocese, about $50,000 went to 38 local food pantries and shelters. Some parishes that have their own food pantries may elect to keep the 25 percent to support the work they do feeding those in need in their own area.

Curry adds that donors to Operation Rice Bowl also have the option of designating 100 percent of their contribution be sent overseas instead of only 75 percent.

“What I like most about Operation Rice Bowl is that most of the money goes out of here,” said Latzko. “We have a responsiblity for caring about others’ needs not only in our parish but in missions in other countries.”

Curry and Latzko emphasize yet another plus of Operation Rice Bowl.

“The money donated to the program goes exclusively for development programs,” Curry said. “The people on the receiving end learn to help themselves. It’s not just getting money for food or clothing and that’s the end of it.”

Some of the development programs include: Mother and child health projects; agriculture training and development; water and sanitation projects; education projects; and small enterprise development.

“Operation Rice Bowl helps us realize that not only do we reach out but, in turn, they [those being helped by Operation Rice Bowl] reach out to us,” said Latzko.

“We are just as in need as they are but in different ways. Many of these people might be poor in money but they are rich in faith. They help teach us what really is important in life—a true trust in God. Material things mean nothing. We should be grateful for what we have and share it.”



Operation Rice Bowl materials are available to parishes or individuals from non-participating parishes through Adrienne Curry, Office for Peace and Justice, 155 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL 60611. (312) 751-8367 or e-mail: [email protected]