CHARLOTTE — Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte is now accepting applications for the Fall 2025 Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Mini-Grant Program. Entities working to address hunger and poverty in the Diocese of Charlotte may apply for $1,000 grants by Friday, Oct. 31.
Guidelines, eligibility details and the application form are available at www.ccdoc.org/cchd-crs. Completed applications should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Rice Bowl Mini-Grant Program is funded through the annual Lenten CRS Rice Bowl collection. For every $3 collected in the annual Rice Bowl Lenten Program that support CRS overseas projects, $1 stays in the Charlotte diocese to fund local hunger and poverty relief efforts. Depending on available funds, one or two grant rounds are held each year.
In Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, 15 diocesan entities each received $1,000 grants to support food pantries, community and senior meals, school supplies, emergency assistance and more. Two examples are:
- At St. Mary’s Parish, 179 students received backpacks and supplies thanks to a grant. “Many children were so excited about their backpacks and the supplies in them that they actually hugged their backpacks,” said Ashley Sharkey, the parish’s Social Outreach Committee member. “We have never done anything on this scale before, and the grant money is crucial.”
- At Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish in Albemarle, parishioners combined their $1,000 grant with parish fundraising to serve approximately 600 meals over five Saturdays at the Community Table, noted the parish’s Food for Families Chairman Don Barker. Volunteers included members of the Rev. J.A. Cowan 10495 Knights of Columbus Council and their wives.
— Joseph Purello