Good things are happening!

Thanks to the generosity of folks like you, we’re able to partner with 59 faith-based children's homes in 9 countries to provide 100% of the food for the children in their care.

The Rice Bowls Team

God loves orphaned children. Period. So, we love them too. And, we want to serve them with everything we've got.

What we believe

 • God has called us to care for orphaned and unprotected children.

 • Every child has four basic necessities: provision, protection, instruction, and affection.

 • Awesome, loving, faith-based children's homes can be a great place for orphaned children to receive these four basic necessities.

• Providing healthy food is a beginning step to see an orphaned child's life changed.

• Covering an orphanage's food costs allows orphanage directors to better focus on nurturing, protecting, instructing, and loving the children in their care.

• Teaching biblical truths, moral virtues, and leadership skills to orphaned children has the potential to change lives, communities, and nations.

• It's really cool to be a small part of something big God is doing.

Our History

Started in 1980 in Spartanburg, SC, Rice Bowls is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide food for orphaned children in the name of Christ. After visiting developing countries and witnessing the ravages of world hunger first-hand, Dr. Alastair Walker decided to develop a pro-active means to feed the hungry.

With the help of other staff and members of his church, Dr. Walker developed a plastic rice bowl coin bank that’s very similar to the one we still use today. Since rice is a dietary staple for much of the world, this design reminds us of those in need around the world. The original concept of Rice Bowls remains the same – help organizations collect money that goes to feed the hungry.

In 1985, Rice Bowls was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit agency in the State of South Carolina.  

Beginning in 2007, Rice Bowls began partnering directly with Christian children’s homes, first in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. This movement was in prayerful response in part to the growing global orphan crisis. Today, we still use the plastic coin banks but we also pursue other avenues to engage those here in the US as well as help our partner homes. 

Rice Bowls is still based in Upstate South Carolina. Since its inception, Rice Bowls has raised tens of millions of dollars to alleviate world hunger.