BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, Feb. 18, 2026 – As countries around the world reduce their funding for international humanitarian aid and hunger continues to rise, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) invites Catholics across the United States to pray, fast and give alms through its annual Lenten program, CRS Rice Bowl, which starts today, Ash Wednesday.
Ongoing conflicts, extreme weather, and persistent inflation are driving up food prices, pushing more families into hunger. According to the United Nations, nearly 700 million people worldwide face hunger today, just as cuts to humanitarian aid are leaving millions with fewer lifelines. This dangerous combination makes faith communities and programs like CRS Rice Bowl more critical than ever.
“The past year has been incredibly difficult for so many families around the world,” said Sean Callahan, CRS’ president and CEO. “We’re seeing more people go hungry just as the resources available to help them are being reduced. CRS Rice Bowl offers Catholics in the U.S. a meaningful way to respond and affirm that no one is forgotten.”
Rooted in Catholic social teaching and the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, CRS Rice Bowl invites participants to live the principle of solidarity—recognizing that all people are part of one human family. Through the program, Catholics support lifesaving work overseas while also helping fund local hunger-relief efforts in dioceses across the U.S., responding with compassion and generosity to those most in need.
“Solidarity is a way of showing strong, unwavering commitment to the common good,” said Bishop Patrick M. Neary, chairman of CRS’ board of directors. “Through CRS Rice Bowl, we have the opportunity to put our faith into action, to walk alongside our sisters and brothers who face hunger and to affirm that we stand with them, even at a time when global support is being scaled back.”
Donations to CRS Rice Bowl support CRS programs around the world that address hunger and poverty by tackling their root causes. In addition, 25% of funds collected remain in local dioceses to support hunger-relief efforts in communities across the U.S. As many families nationwide struggle with rising costs of living, these local investments are more vital than ever.
“As Catholics, we are called to serve those most in need, especially when the challenges feel overwhelming,” Callahan said. “Right now, families everywhere are feeling the strain of rising costs, no matter where they live. CRS Rice Bowl offers Catholics in the U.S. a tangible way to live out their Lenten almsgiving, transforming small, personal sacrifices, like skipping a weekly coffee, into a greater impact for families facing hunger.”
Direct donations to CRS are accepted online, by phone or mail.
Online:
English: crsricebowl.org/give
Spanish: crsplatodearroz.org/donar
By Phone:
Call 877-435-7277 between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and tell the operator that the gift is for CRS Rice Bowl.
By Mail:
Please write “CRS Rice Bowl” on the memo line of your check and mail it to:
Catholic Relief Services
Attn: CRS Rice Bowl
P.O. Box 5200
Harlan, IA 51593-0700
“Even in the face of rising hunger and shrinking resources, we are not powerless,” said Bishop Neary. “Through CRS Rice Bowl, the small sacrifices we make during Lent become signs of hope reminding the world that love, generosity and solidarity are stronger than scarcity.”
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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 80 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crs.org/es and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.