CRS Rice Bowl Collection Vital After USAID Cuts

Catholic Relief Services' annual Lenten program is more essential than ever as U.S. foreign aid dries up.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) effectively ceased operations in 2025, with 85% of its programs cut. This has left many in-country aid organizations unable to continue their work, but Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is surviving. As a result, CRS's annual Rice Bowl collection, a Lenten program that invites Catholics to pray, fast, and give in solidarity with the world's poor, has become more critical than ever.

Why it matters

The deep cuts to USAID funding have had a devastating impact on humanitarian aid efforts around the world. CRS Rice Bowl is one of the few remaining programs that can provide vital support to communities in need, making it an essential lifeline in the face of this crisis.

The details

CRS Rice Bowl is a familiar Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services, the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S. Since 1975, the program has invited Catholics to put their faith into action by praying, fasting, and giving in solidarity with the world's poor. In 2026, some 11,000 Catholic parishes and schools will participate in the program, including those in the Diocese of Allentown, where Rice Bowl began as a local effort in the 1970s.

  • In January 2025, a freeze on all U.S. foreign aid was implemented.
  • By July 2025, USAID effectively ceased to exist, with 85% of its programs cut.

The players

Abena Amedormey

Country representative for Catholic Relief Services in Ghana.

Monsignor Robert Coll

Launched the CRS Rice Bowl program as a local effort in the Diocese of Allentown.

Catholic Relief Services

The official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S., which runs the CRS Rice Bowl program.

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What they’re saying

“Are you leaving, too?”

— Abena Amedormey, Country representative for Catholic Relief Services in Ghana

The takeaway

With the drastic cuts to USAID funding, the CRS Rice Bowl collection has become an essential lifeline for communities in need around the world. This program's continued success is crucial in the face of the humanitarian crisis caused by the reduction in U.S. foreign aid.