Media CenterThirty Second Promo Video Released for CRS Rice Bowl

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS: 

Susan Gossling Walters
(443) 955-7103
[email protected]

Anna Ruiz
(410) 925-7238
[email protected]

BALTIMORE, MD, January 27, 2016 – CRS Rice Bowl released its 2016 promotional video today. The 30-second piece is free for use by any diocese, school, parish or group. 

The video can be downloaded for various formats here:

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/oGMwfsrKWCI

File for Social Media:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gv0l449ov69gh97/16_RB%20Promo%20for%20FB.mp4?dl=0  

Spot for TV stations:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ainlccqcvc99iwy/16_Rice%20Bowl%20Promo%20for%20TV.mov?dl=0 

Now in its 41st year, CRS Rice Bowl helps Catholics begin conversations about Lent and their faith, about the role of charity, and about the many different people who make up our world family.  For Catholic parishes and schools, it unites communities for Lenten faith reflection around the spirit of serving those in need and the good work of the Church around the globe.  And for those who benefit from its charity, the “Rice Bowl Effect” is a key to a better life.

“There is something truly wonderful about the impact CRS Rice Bowl has on our Catholic community and on the people we serve,” said Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president of U.S. Operations for Catholic Relief Services (CRS). “What we are calling the ‘Rice Bowl Effect’ unites us as a faith community in the service of helping others. It links us to our brothers and sisters around the world through stories, recipes, reflections, and prayer.  And best of all, this effect can be an experience that starts with the very young and extends throughout our lifetimes.”

Rosenhauer noted that in this Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis, CRS Rice Bowl opens a special door for Catholics to learn more about – and participate in – the works of mercy done in their name by CRS, the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States.  

“For CRS, the preferential love for those oppressed by poverty is at the heart of our work,” said Rosenhauer.  “This year, we have helped improve the lives of millions of people in over 100 countries, work that began when we helped refugees during World War II. CRS Rice Bowl plays a significant role in making sure we are ready and able to do such work, the good news, the merciful story of our Church.”

This year’s Stories of Hope are:

• Week 1 - Meet Maria from the coffee lands of Colombia
  Try the featured recipe from Colombia: Cheese Empanadas with Beans
• Week 2 – Meet Hongkham from Laos, a mother of four who is keeping her family healthy
  Try the featured recipe from Laos: Kao Phiak Saui Tua Leuang
• Week 3 – Meet Odette from Rwanda, a mother of a healthy baby daughter
  Try the featured recipe from Rwanda: Kawunga                   
• Week 4 – Meet Mayra from Honduras who overcame her struggles to excel in the classroom
  Try the featured recipe from Honduras: Bean Soup with Chayote Squash and Rice    
• Week 5 – Meet Vaviroa from Madagascar, a farmer and mother who replanted her flooded fields and put food back on her family’s table
  Try the featured recipe from Madagascar: Vary amin’anana

CRS Rice Bowl materials are available in print, on the web, and through the mobile app and in English and Spanish. Follow CRS Rice Bowl on Twitter – @CRSRiceBowl and #4Lent4Life – and find CRS Rice Bowl on Facebook.

To learn more about CRS Rice Bowl, visit crsricebowl.org.

For Editors and Reporters:

An online media kit with a full collection of hi-res photographs, videos, bios, a kit for social media with memes and banners, and an FAQ is available for your use.

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 100 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, please visit crs.org or crsespanol.org and follow CRS on social media: Facebook, @CatholicRelief, @CRSnews, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.

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