Our Lenten Rice Bowl Outreach for 2025 is Heifer International, a global nonprofit whose mission is: “Working with communities to end world hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth”. They have been successfully carrying out this mandate for 80 years. Their founder, Dan West, was not only a farmer but an aid worker during the Spanish Civil War who wanted to alleviate the suffering he saw around him in whatever way he could. But rather than give a man a fish, he wanted to teach him how to fish. Rather than give people cups of milk to drink, he wanted them to own and raise a cow to produce that milk. To date, this program has impacted 70 million people or 13 million families. Heifer international distributes farm animals, brings clean water, provides educational opportunities for girls, along with garden seeds and honey bees. Recipients are trained on topics ranging from animal care to how to start small farming businesses. Ultimately, their goal is to help families reach living incomes ensuring that they have adequate food, housing and other essential resources to lead dignified lives.
As members of All Saints, we hope to raise awareness of caring for God’s world by supporting Heifer International’s mission. Each of the five Sundays of Lent during Adult Formation we will have the opportunity to enhance our commitment to care for God’s World. The following is a brief overview of our speakers
March 9: Introduction to Heifer International Project including the video “It All Started With An Idea”.
March 16: “Creating Wildlife Habitat in your Outdoor Space” by Deb Portney, Maryland Master Naturalist and Frederick County Master Gardener.
March 23: “Prepping for Garden Resiliency” by Jenny Willoughby, Jenny is the Manager for the City of Frederick Office of Sustainability.
March 30: “Sacred Sanctuaries: Embracing God’s Creatures at Audubon’s Hidden Gems” by Tom Rogers, President of the Audubon Society of Central Maryland and Paul Troxell, Sanctuary Committee Chair and Manager of sanctuaries for ASCM.
April 6: Heifer International Project “Living Gift Market”. This is your opportunity to help Heifer International’s mission by sponsoring the purchase of farm animals, clean water, seeds, honeybees, education, etc to families in poverty around the world. There will also be a Petting Zoo! Please mark your calendars and plan on joining us every week during our important “Rice Bowl” Outreach.
