Staff Announcement - May 25, 2010
Rice Bowls Inc. happily announces the addition of John Ramantanin to its staff. John will be serving as Director of Administration and Growth. He will be responsible for coordinating and executing Rice Bowls’ overall marketing and outreach in the US. This includes organizations that have run Rice Bowls campaigns in the past as well as new campaign partners. John will also be coordinating Rice Bowls relationships with its overseas orphanage partners. He will also be coordinating the overall operational aspects of Rice Bowls’ day-to-day activities.
Rice Bowls board president Dodd Caldwell says, “John will be an incredible addition to our team. We’re fortunate to have found someone with such strengths in the business management arena, as well as marketing and relationship development. To top it all off, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone with more of a passion for serving vulnerable children.” John comes to Rice Bowls after spending nearly 25 years working in many areas of the industrial equipment business. He has also served in a wide array of non-profit ministries over 18 years, including work with numerous overseas orphanages. John describes his calling as to “serve the servants” and has a passion for missions. John has been married to his wife, Merissa (a Director of Children’s Ministry) for 14 years and they have 2 children, Karis and Ian Spencer. John will begin working full time with Rice Bowls after he returns from Haiti.
In the News: Caldwell's account of his recent trip to Haiti
From the Spartanburg Herald Journal, February 21, 2010
Dodd Caldwell, board president of Rice Bowls, a local ministry that
provides food to orphans around the world, recently journeyed with
others to Haiti.
During his journey, Caldwell
regularly updated friends and family back home of the group's
experiences. Caldwell also e-mailed updates to the Spartanburg
Herald-Journal. Below are Caldwell's updates in their entirety.Overview of the Trip
Johnny
Ramantanin, board member of Rescue Children Orphanage (RCO) and
Spartanburg resident, and myself, Dodd Caldwell, board president of
Rice Bowls and Spartanburg resident, are traveling to Port-au-Prince,
Haiti to assist the administration team of RCO. The
administration of RCO is handled by Life Church in Allentown, Pa. RCO
is also supported by Rice Bowls and Hope Point Community Church in
Spartanburg. The RCO
building is uninhabitable and needs to be razed. The courtyard in front
of the damaged building is now being used as a food and medical relief
center — operated by Life Church with the assistance of other groups.
While I'm sure Johnny and I will be assisting in the relief efforts and
helping with the children, our main focus will likely be the process of
investigating strategic decisions — helping confirm a short/medium term
facility for the children and move them in, and help find land and make
preliminary building decision for a long-term permanent home. Neither
of us knows quite what to expect on our trip, but we're both praying
and believing that the Lord will allow our trip to be productive. While
we can't help all of Haiti, we hope that what we're doing will help the
11 children at RCO...
Read more from the Spartanburg Herald Journal->
A New Home in Haiti
Rice Bowls president, Dodd Caldwell, and ministry leaders from Life Church and Hope Point Church sent this report from Haiti:
"We finalized the purchase of the new
home! The owners are moving out and we are moving in early next week.
(note that they are sleeping in the tent outside as people are afraid
of the earth shaking again and being inside when they are asleep) After
the deposit is transferred down, the mommies clean, the LC team moves
all the belongings....then we are home again! The team is off to do
food distribution and the doctors are treating 200 plus people a day.
Thank you for reaching your hand out to the Haitian people by praying,
encouraging us, and giving supplies and donations so that we can
represent you here!"
Next Steps for Haiti
Rice Bowls President, Dodd Caldwell, will be traveling to Haiti on Tuesday, February 9. He will join leaders from Life Church and Hope Point Community Church. Their plans are to assist with long term efforts for Rescue Children orphanage and the makeshift medical clinic. This trip will be like no other – So join us in praying for wisdom and protection.
Please check in for regular updates.
Haiti blog
Click here to read the latest news directly from Rescue Children->
Walls: A Haiti Benefit Concert
Join us for this event in Greenville, South Carolina featuring David Walker, Lee McDerment, and Josh Ridings->
|
Earthquake in Haiti: UPDATED
As hundreds of thousands of lives where reportedly lost in Haiti's earthquake, the children of Rescue Children are safe because of compassionate supporters and a Rice Bowls church. Rescue Children was founded in 2005 through the vision of Linda Morrison. Through Rice Bowls, she and the leadership of Rescue Children connected with Life Church in Allentown, PA. Life Church came alongside this orphanage and moved them to a new facility late last year. Thankfully, this new facility was strong enough to withstand yesterday's earthquake. All the children and staff of Rescue Children are safe.
Their building and facilities have significant structural damage. The home is will be in great need of repair. Their wall and gate is no longer in place, making security a chief concern. Additionally, the impact on their community and access to food and supplies is unknown.
At this point, communication with Haiti is very limited. Life Church is hoping to send a team to Haiti as soon as possible to assist in the reconstruction. We are thankful to have received word from Rescue Children and are praying passionately for this nation.
To impact these efforts, please contact Life Church or Rice Bowls.
Update from Rescue Children, January 14, 2009, 10:13 am:
Our partners from Life Church were able to fly into Dominican Republic and are now driving (6-7 hours) into Haiti. The children are still safe, sleeping outside as the home is suspect right now. They are very scared, but thankful that we had no casualties. They have enough food for a week and are rationing the water. The surrounding area nearby is in ruins. Once the medical team arrives they will go out & help with the rescue. A second team will be going soon.
Update from Rescue Children, January 14, 2009, 2:40 pm:
Read more at MSNBC.com->
Read more from the Spartanburg Herald Journal->
Read more from WFMZ Allentown->
Follow the Blog->
|
Haiti 2009: Rescue Children
Thoughts from Dodd Caldwell, Rice Bowls President, from his recent trip to Haiti.
Join us in praying for Pastor Ramon, Luz, and the future site of Rescue Children.
"For those of you who don't know me, I'm on the board of Rice Bowls and I recently had the opportunity to take quick trip to Haiti where I visited Rescue Children Orphanage (a RB partner orphanage) and some other ministries. It was great to meet the kids along with Pastor Ramon and his wife Luz, the new in country directors. They're from Life Church in Allentown, PA and you can tell that not only do they love the kids but they're great mentors and teachers as well. I also had the opportunity to visit what will be their new home. Its a nice big house with a courtyard where each child can have their own garden. Also, in addition to being a beautiful home, the electric and water service is much better. All in all, it will be a great change for the kids. I'm going to post some pictures of some of the kids."
Grandparents to Orphans
|
Q: How does a couple in South Carolina become “grandparents” to dozen of children in India and plant a garden there?
A: Through Rice Bowls!
Rice Bowls provide the funding to purchase food for orphanages around the world. But once orphanages receiving funding, how do they actually get the food they need? Our Orphanage Partners are continually looking for effective, sustainable solutions to provide for the children in their care. One very healthy, economical strategy is to plant their own garden on sight. Once established, a garden is a very cost-effective way to produce food. It also provides fresh vegetables for a nutritious diet. Finally, the garden itself is a wonderful teaching tool. Children are learning to grow their own food and care for agriculture. These skills will help many of them in their future vocation. Plus, this knowledge will be a resource to their community.Living Hope Children’s Home in India recently became a new Rice Bowls Orphanage Partner. Thanks for your support through Rice Bowls, they are no able to establish a vegetable garden. “The kids have really worked hard for this,” Living Hope’s coordinator, Dhiraj John, reports. “It’s yet another great and exciting day for our children's home. We are finally ready to eat the vegetables the kids [have grown]."Mr. and Mrs. Milton and Suzanne Smith of Spartanburg, SC, are long time supporters of Rice Bowls. Their leadership and prayerful support of this ministry has made this work possible. In honor of their commitment to feed the world in Christ’s name, Living Hope Children’s Home has chosen to name the garden in their honor. “The kids have started calling Mr. and Mrs. Smith, ‘Grandpa and Grandma,’ ” says John, “Every family has a Grandpa and Grandma so Mr. and Mrs. Smith are a part of our Living Hope family.”
|
|
Children from Living Hope Children's Home, Bangalore, India
"Grandparents" Mrs. Milton and Suzanne Smith of Spartanburg, SC
|
Looking for Something?
For past Rice Bowls
TM News articles.
Check out the archives->