Challenge: Rice or Water

Lent starts Wednesday, for those of us who observe it. Lent is traditionally a time of penance, fasting, and alms-giving for Catholics. The fasting part is always a problem for me. Woe is the person who crosses me on a fast day when I'm crabby and irritable. I know that fasting is supposed to bring clarity in many religious traditions, but I've never had that experience. Last night, while I was complaining about eating chicken again, I found the rice bowl packet in my son's school folder. I moaned and groaned about high quality, easily available food while millions of people in the world have poor quality food that is not readily available to them. Shame on me. Needless to say, my family will be participating in Operation Rice Bowl this season. I would like to challenge everyone who reads this blog to do the same. You don't have to be Catholic and the contents of your rice bowl don't necessarily need to go to Catholic Relief Services. Just eat a simple, inexpensive meal once or twice a week and deposit the money that you've saved on that meal in a cardboard rice container. On Easter (or Passover, or the spring solstice, or just the first day that you see buds on your trees), give that money to a hunger relief organization. I will post a cheap recipe every week (provided by CRS) if you need an idea of what to make. And while we're on the topic of hunger, let's talk about water too. More than one billion people in the world do not have a safe supply of drinking water. WaterPartners International is an organization that focuses on sustainable water projects in developing countries. My friends Jolyn and Matt introduced this charity to me a few years ago, and I admire its mission. If you aren't up for the rice bowl challenge, please consider a donation for clean, potable water.