Seniors enjoy authentic Hispanic food at one of the meal sites of Diversity Services Center of Iowa in Muscatine in this photo taken last year.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Twice a month, the Diversity Services Center of Iowa (DSCI) in Muscatine offers a free, authentic Hispanic meal to minority seniors over the age of 60. The meal program includes exercise, games, informational presentations and complimentary transportation. The program helps participants to combat isolation and depression, said Executive Director Rosa Mendoza. “Those attending the meal site have become a support group for others who are going through difficult times. By socializing with others their own age, seniors gain self-esteem and build long-lasting relationships that continue outside meal site activities.”
In January, DSCI received notification of a 50% cut in state funding for its Senior Program services, including meal sites in Muscatine and Columbus Junction. “We were not expecting this, so it was a shock for us,” Mendoza said. DSCI made the difficult decision to discontinue the Columbus Junction meal site and began looking for additional funding for the Muscatine meal site. Mendoza applied for and received a $1,000 Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl grant from the Diocese of Davenport. “My hope is to continue providing services to one of the most vulnerable populations in our community.”
Diocesan Catholics donated $81,600 to Rice Bowl during Lent this year, the second-highest total in 16 years and more than $25,000 over last year’s total, said Deacon Kent Ferris, diocesan director of Social Action. Annually, 75% of the diocesan Lenten collection supports international hunger relief efforts. The remaining 25% benefits local organizations that ease food insecurity.
Sacred Heart Parish of Melcher/Dallas raised more than $5,500 for Rice Bowl, the highest collection among diocesan parishes. “We had several parishioners who gave more than what they had given in the past,” said parish secretary Martha Reed. The parish promoted the collection the same way it has for years: distributing Rice bowls at the start of Lent, placing weekly bulletin inserts and making announcements at Mass. “We didn’t do anything special,” Reed said.
Deacon Ferris recently visited the parish to thank them “for their incredible generosity.” While he is not certain what led to higher collections in Melcher/Dallas and elsewhere, he believes the 50th anniversary of the collection, as well as projected cuts to government-funded humanitarian aid, prompted diocesan Catholics to give more this year. The Trump administration recently ended federal funds for nearly a dozen projects operated by CRS to provide free school meals to children internationally, according to the USDA.
Thirteen organizations in southeast Iowa received a portion of $20,400 from Rice Bowl funds. The diocesan Rice Bowl committee met earlier this summer to review applications and distribute the local funds.
“The most rewarding part of being on the committee is working to bring change and improve lives in areas that otherwise have little hope,” said Nick Reyes, a member of Sacred Heart Cathedral-Davenport who has served on national and diocesan Rice Bowl committees over the past 40 years. “The most challenging part is praying for the Holy Spirit to guide us in making our decisions to change lives and enrich worthy causes.”
Diocesan Catholics also donated money to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) collection earlier this year. CCHD grants go to organizations that work for systemic change rather than addressing immediate needs related to hunger and poverty. In the Diocese of Davenport, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa and Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County each received a $3,090 CCHD grant.
LEARN ABOUT CRS
Deacon Ferris and Deacon Joe Welter are available to speak and/or preach at parishes and schools about the work of Catholic Relief Services. Both deacons are CRS Global Fellows. Contact Deacon Ferris at ferris@davenportdiocese.org or Deacon Welter at welterj@diodav.org. Learn more about CRS online at www.crs.org.
