"Live Simply so that Others May Simply Live", Give the Gift of Food

“Live simply, so that others may simply live,” is attributed to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton or Mahatma Gandhi depending on the source one considers reliable. The message applies and came to mind while reviewing the gift catalog report issued by Chalice’s Mbinga, Tanzania Sponsor Site. Fr. Binoy Puthussery, Mbinga Site Director stated: “The Parishioners of St. Vincent, in the diocese of Mbunda in Northern Tanzania, are very grateful for the gift catalogue help they received to buy food items.” Food is the gift catalog item most requested by our Sponsor Sites. Fr. Binoy’s narrative goes on to explain: “Because of lack of rain, in this diocese there is a problem of food crisis. They used the funds to buy maize and it was distributed to the most deserving families in the parish.”

The gift of food from the Chalice gift catalog provided nutrition for these people who were not able to grow their own crops due to drought.

Almost all the children in Chalice’s child sponsorship program in Mbinga come from poor farming families who grow maize and beans as their main source of nutrition. Choosing to live more simply, selecting a gift from Chalice’s Christmas Gift Catalog for someone instead of something flashy like a designer accessory or clothing item, or the latest electronic device, may truly allow someone in need to simply live.

Here’s how the Chalice gift catalog works:

  1. Select a gift from the catalog.

  2. Your friend or loved one receives a card with a photo and description of your purchased gift.

  3. Your gift is received by someone in need.

A gift of $50 from the Nutrition section of the Gift Catalog will Feed a Family for a Month. Fifteen dollars gives a gift of Milk, and $25 will provide Bottles and Formula when mother’s milk is not an option.

Besides Nutrition, gifts are available in the areas of:

Animals and Farming

Education

Household

Health

Livelihood

Community Improvement

Most Needed Gift

You can also choose to sponsor a child in the name of a loved one or friend. Sponsorship costs just $33 per month and gives children the support and nourishment they need to learn at school while providing families with the resources they need to care for their children and learn skills to improve daily life for their family and community.

— Beatrice Maynor, Web Content Editor, Chalice US

Living Our Faith, Notes from the FieldLinda Gurklis