CRS Ambassadors hold annual rice bowl event

CRS+Ambassadors+hold+annual+rice+bowl+event

Jordyn Jacques, Contributor

Rice bowls will once again be located around campus during the Lenten season.

Campus Ministry’s annual rice bowl event is happening now until April 13.

According to Faculty Adviser of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Ambassadors Sr. John Michele Southwick, IHM, the concept behind this event is that for each day of Lent, donations are made to the rice bowls in order to help CRS give back to communities in the United States, as well as overseas.

The Rice Bowl donations first started five years ago at Marywood, this year marking its sixth year on campus. The Catholic Relief Services Ambassadors, along with Southwick, run the event.

The ambassadors kick off the event by constructing the rice bowls that CRS provides, then placing the 150 bowls at different locations on campus, including outside the Marion chapel, at the dining hall, registrar’s office and cashier’s office.

In the past, the rice bowls have given CRS donations ranging from $650 to $1100, said Southwick.

CRS started the Rice Bowl event in 1975, according to the CRS website. The organization is an “international organization that provides immediate aid and development aid,” according to Southwick.

Joe Hunt, a senior member of the CRS ambassadors, is involved in the event.

“It’s an easy way for people to help,” said Hunt.

He encouraged people to throw their loose change into the rice bowls around campus.

President of the CRS Ambassadors Maria Temples is also involved in the event. She has been involved with the ambassadors and the Rice Bowls for four years.

Temples said CRS gives 75 percent of the proceeds to support humanitarian programs around the world and the other 25 percent goes to each U.S. diocese, which is used for hunger and poverty alleviation efforts in local communities.

After partaking in the event for many years, Temples has found that her favorite thing about the Rice Bowls is that “100 percent of the proceeds go back to organizations” and that the program not only benefits local communities, but also communities around the world.

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