Operation Rice Bowl

Each season of Lent for the last 35 years, Catholic Relief Services has run a special collection program called Operation Rice Bowl.  If you are Catholic, many parishes have the little boxes that you can take home and make daily or weekly donations during Lent "to help fund development programs designed to increase food security around the world".  As you participate in fasting, you can donate the money you would have spent to CRS.  If your church does not have them, you can donate on-line.

"Each year, Operation Rice Bowl invites us to pray with our families and faith communities; fast in solidarity with those who hunger; learn more about our global community and the challenges of poverty overseas; and give sacrificial contributions to those in need."

Lent begins this Wednesday March 9th.

And look what else I found on their website:  recipes!  My food-blogger past comes back!  We'll definitely be trying this one out:

Senegal

Senegalese stew

• ¼ cup oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• ½ cup black eyed peas (pre-soaked)
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, chopped
• ¼ tsp hot pepper
• 1 ½  cups rice (uncooked)

Fry garlic and onions in oil until tender. Add tomato paste and mix thoroughly. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Add bouillon cube, black-eyed peas, carrots, sweet potato, and hot pepper. Boil until peas are tender. Add rice and boil 10 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. Do not stir until the very end.
Makes 4-5 servings.