Help the hungry, one dinner at a time
We've all seen the picture in a newspaper or magazine: a child dressed in rags sits on the ground, painfully thin, with large penetrating eyes looking directly into the camera. We quickly recognize that the child is hungry, and we can't help but wonder, "What can I do to help this poor little person?"
After one such experience, the idea came to me that I should promote a "Rice Dinner Project." I recalled that, once a month while our children were young, we served a meager meal of just plain rice, sending the money we saved to an organization that dealt with world hunger. We wanted to teach our kids empathy and the value of sharing.
DO SOMETHING
It occurred to me that people and families could easily do this today. Our pastor suggested that I make an appeal to our congregation ... The response was overwhelming! More than half of our members committed to serving a rice dinner once a month for a year, sending the money they saved to the hunger charity of their choice. And it couldn't have been easier to do.
SPREAD THE WORD
It really gets exciting when we combine our efforts. A single family might contribute $120 per year. In our little church, we've committed to sending probably $10,000. Now, what if we could get a hundred churches, synagogues, and organizations to do the same? Astonishingly, this would raise $1,000,000 for the battle against hunger.
People in our congregation have told neighbors and friends about this idea, and a number of them have enthusiastically joined in. We have been featured in local and national publications (see our news section), helping spread the word far beyond our own town. And we've created this website to make it easier to spread the word far and wide.
YOUR TURN
And now you have been introduced to the Rice Dinner Project. I hope that the project will interest you and stir you to action.
Why not consider joining this effort, either on an individual basis, or perhaps you could propose the Rice Dinner Project to a group or congregation to which you belong?
We'll
help
This website will give you access to all kinds of resources and useful information about the Rice Dinner Project:
- The Participate! section details how to participate and how to share the idea with your group or congregation.
- The Resources section offers ideas about where you might send contributions and how to print mailing labels and envelopes. It also contains resources and guidance if you're ready to share this idea with your group or place of worship.
- In the Community section, we'll share your stories about taking part in the project.
- And in the News section, we'll post links to any press we (or you!) are able to drum up, and we'll add other updates and news items that may be of interest to participants.
And we welcome your inquiries, questions, and ideas. Just send an email and tell us how we can help you along.