The organizations, which will share a total of $20,000, are: Highland Area Christian Service Ministries (Highland); Elizabeth Ann Seton Program and Parent Help Line at St. John’s Children’s Hospital (Springfield); Mattoon Area PADS; Mattoon Community Food Center; Gillespie Caring Center; Coalition for People in Need and St. Vincent de Paul Society at Eastern Illlinois University (Charleston); Staunton Food Pantry; Auburn Community Helping Hands; Good Samaritan Ministries (Carlinville); Ss. Peter and Paul Society of St. Vincent de Paul (Collinsville); Bond County Food Pantry (Greenville); Mt. Olive Care Center; St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Francis Solanus Parish (Quincy); Sorento Food Pantry; Ministries Unlimited and St. Jerome Outreach Food Bus (Troy); Cass County Food Pantry (Virginia); Loami Community Pantry; Riverton Community Food Pantry; and Taylorville Meals on Wheels.

Operation Rice Bowl is designed to enhance the Lenten experience for participating families by focusing on values of self-sacrifice and fostering solidarity with the poor and the hungry through prayer, fasting, learning and almsgiving. Since Operation Rice Bowl’s inception over 30 years ago, millions of dollars has been raised to help fund Catholic Relief Services’ development projects in over 99 countries, including the United States.

Each year, 25 percent of the money raised within the Springfield diocese during Lent is designated for local grants to support hunger-relief projects within the boundaries of the diocese. It is through the generosity of Catholics in Central Illinois that these grants are possible.

For more information, write to: Operation Rice Bowl Grants, Office for the Missions, P.O. Box 7025, Springfield, IL 62791-7025 or call (217) 698-8500 ext. 120 or visit .