Joan Harper, Catholic Relief Services Diocesan Director for the Office of Justice and Peace for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was awarded the 2007 Operation Rice Bowl Award at the recent Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C.
In presenting the award, Joan Neal, executive vice president of U.S. Operations for Catholic Relief Services, praised Harper's "outstanding efforts to involve parishes, schools, faith communities and individuals in Operation Rice Bowl and other Catholic Relief Services' programs."
Harper has promoted Operation Rice Bowl (ORB) in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 2004. In her role overseeing Catholic Relief Services for the Archdiocese, she encourages Catholics to use ORB as a community-building experience for participants. She emphasizes all four components of ORB --- praying, fasting, learning and giving --- as a key part of the Lenten experience by encouraging Catholics to share simple meals during the weeks leading up to Easter.
Through Harper's efforts, the giving aspect of the ORB experience has increased dramatically: over the past three years, ORB donations from the L.A. Archdiocese have increased 384 percent. In addition, Harper introduced a weekly "Justice News Blast" email which informs about and promotes ORB as well as all major justice and peace events in the Archdiocese.
Also this year, Harper organized ORB training workshops in strategic locations throughout the diocese, to help parish and school leaders learn how they can effectively use the ORB resources to enrich their Lenten experiences. Harper held three ORB workshops in 2007 and several others previously.
In addition to her work promoting ORB parish to parish, Harper promotes CRS speaker events as an opportunity for schools and parishes to supplement their ORB activities.
Operation Rice Bowl began in 1975 as a program of the Diocese of Allentown, Pa., and was adopted nationally by Catholic Relief Services in 1976. Today, millions of Catholics in parishes, schools and faith communities across the United States participate in Operation Rice Bowl as a way to make a positive difference in the lives of people around the world who struggle with hunger and poverty.
Operation Rice Bowl provides Catholics with an opportunity to live out the central themes of Lent by praying with their families and faith communities, fasting in solidarity with those who don't have enough food, learning about the joys and challenges in the lives of people around the world, and giving sacrificial contributions to assist the poor. Through the support of 170 dioceses and under the direction of each Diocesan Director, Operation Rice Bowl has become a Lenten tradition for the Catholic Church in the United States.
Annually, Operation Rice Bowl raises approximately $8 million to help the poor and underprivileged around the world. Of these proceeds, 75 percent come to Catholic Relief Services to help fund development projects that contribute to food security in 40 countries around the world. Each year, 25 percent of Operation Rice Bowl funds remain in local dioceses in the United States to fund local hunger and poverty alleviation projects. |