how many chairs do you have around your dining table?

every Lent for i don't know how many Lents now, catholic relief services has sponsored "operation rice bowl" as an opportunity for charitable giving to people in various forms of need throughout the world, including here in the u.s. i love "operation rice bowl." here's why:

• "operation rice bowl" is clever. for example, they'll ask you to give to the hungry of the world by donating "x" amount of money for each dining table chair you have in your house. 
• they'll ask you to donate "y" amount of money for every faucet you have in your house - inside and out - as a way of helping folks who don't have any running water.
• you might want to give "z" amount for every grade of schooling you have completed so that catholic relief services can build schools in places (plenty) that don't have schools.

the other thing i love about "operation rice bowl" is, and i know half of you are gonna hate for me this but oh well, the other thing i like about "operation rice bowl" is that i donate the money in this little box and turn it into my church at the end of Lent (also known as the day i can finally eat pasta again!) and never see the first receipt. 

i love donating without getting receipts and then not turning around next year and asking uncle sam to donate back to me. 

i just think that's how charitable giving always ought to be.


i also just think i ought to find out how many Lents catholic relief services has been sponsoring "operation rice bowl" and  give "x, y, and z" for each one.