By Deborah Manog
Special to the Herald
The nineteen Hawaii Catholic Schools that participated in the 2016 Catholic Relief Services Lenten Rice Bowl raised a whopping $25,000 for local and international aid programs created for the elimination of hunger and poverty.
The donations from the 19 schools, about half the number of schools in the diocese, were in addition to contributions from parishes and individuals.
Seventy-five percent of the Rice Bowl donations support CRS’s foreign humanitarian programs which help improve agriculture, water and sanitation, provide microfinancing for small businesses, and offer nutrition education and services for mothers and children.
The remaining quarter of the funds collected will remain in Hawaii to help hunger and homelessness programs administered by the diocesan Office for Social Ministry.
For the past 41 years, this faith-in-action program has created an avenue for many local students to deepen their faith through almsgiving and prayer during the Lenten season.