Food Security & Global Trade
Acton Institute
The Acton Institute ( www.acton.org ) is a think-tank whose mission is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.
This direction recognizes the benefits of a limited government, but also the beneficent consequences of a free market. It embraces an objective framework of moral values, but also recognizes and appreciates the subjective nature of economic value. It views justice as a duty of all to give the one his due but, more importantly, as an individual obligation to serve the common good and not just his own needs and wants. In order to promote a more profound understanding of the coming together of faith and liberty, Acton involves members of religious, business, and academic spheres in its various seminars, publications, and academic activities. It is our hope that by demonstrating the compatibility of faith, liberty, and free economic activity, religious leaders and entrepreneurs can contribute by helping to shape a society that is secure, free, and virtuous. The Acton Institute was founded on the basis of ten Core Principles, integrating Judeo-Christian Truths with Free Market Principles.
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Unbound
Unbound, formerly Christian Fund for Children & Aging (CFCA), is a Kansas City-based international nonprofit founded by lay Catholics grounded in the Gospel call to put the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable first. They build relationships of mutual respect and support that bridge cultural, religious and economic divides.
Working side by side with people of diverse faith traditions in 18 countries, Unbound brings people together to challenge poverty in new and innovative ways by inspiring confidence and offering opportunity and encouragement to children and families living on the margins of society. They create practical and trustworthy means for people to help others and nurture human connections that uplift us all. |
CRS Rice Bowl Campaign
CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services' Lenten solidarity program that brings Lent to life! The program is used by millions of Catholics throughout the United States, in more than 15,000 parishes, schools, and faith communities. Through CRS Rice Bowl, we reach out to assist our brothers and sisters around the world through traditional Lenten practices, while we learn about the global issues affecting our neighbors overseas, as well as here in the United States.
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Time Tables for Participation
- Participating schools and parishes should order their supplies on line by the end of September or early October for next Lent.
- Supplies are usually shipped 6 to 8 weeks prior to Lent (assuming an order has been placed).
- Distribution of supplies to participants is ordinarily conducted one to two weeks prior to Lent. A blessing for Rice Bowls is included in the Coordinator's Guide.
- The CRS Rice Bowl program offiically begins on Ash Wednesday.
- CRS Rice Bowl concludes on Easter Sunday.
- Donations from participants should be collected by parishes/schools no later than June 30. Ask participants to make checks payable to your parish or school.
- A single check and report form from the parish/school should be sent to the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph by July 30. Report forms are updated annually and posted as a resource.

CRS Rice Bowl prayers, stories and reflections for Lent 2018 are focusing on the parable of the good Samaritan, to lead all of us to reflect on “Who is my neighbor?”. It has been specifically designed this year to help us encounter and share the journey with our brothers and sisters around the world, while fighting hunger both in the US and overseas with our Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Go to crsricebowl.org.
Click here for Sample Bulletin Announcements
CRS Ethical Trade
The CRS Fair Trade Program creates opportunities to make trade fairer for poor people overseas, through the choices we make about what we eat, drink and buy. Fair Trade is a new model of international trade, one that is built on right relationships between us and the people overseas who create the items we consume – relationships that respect human dignity, promote economic justice and cultivate global solidarity.