Contact: Kevin Lampe, 312-617-7280

CHICAGO, Feb. 3, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Building on the success of their inaugural 2015 campaign to remind believers that Lent is a time for giving, not just giving things up, Malteser International Americas is again going to help "Make Lent Count" and enable friends and supporters to help feed those who are struggling to find their meal, or those who do without food altogether.

"Lent is a time for giving and not just giving up. Fasting encourages to easily put ourselves and our needs aside for a bit so that we can walk in the shoes of our fellow human beings," said Ravi Tripptrap, Executive Director, Malteser International Americas, "The selflessness of it helps individuals to grow, and brings together families and communities. Often, this makes us realize more acutely the problems faced by others in the Americas and around the globe."

HOW IT WORKS

For the seven Fridays leading up to Easter (beginning February 10), Malteser International Americas is encouraging all supporters, friends and colleagues to help "Make Lent Count" by fasting from their usual lunch or dinner and instead eating a simple bowl of rice or vegetable soup instead, and donating the money saved to Malteser International's food and nutrition projects. Malteser International Americas is looking for local organizations which would be interested in participating to contact Julie.Angulo@malteser-international.org.

Malteser International Americas is asking all who are fasting to visit www.orderofmaltarelief.org and make their donation. Exchanging one $10 meal is enough to feed a child in Peru for one month. Eating simply for the seven weeks of Lent results in enough to feed a family for two months.

Each of the weeks of Lent will feature a different nutrition project in one of the countries in which Malteser International Americas is active. The campaign will again feature the social media hashtag #MakeLentCount to connect supporters and encourage them to share about their contributions from around the world.

Malteser International Americas is a global humanitarian organization with a mission of supporting the vulnerable and marginalized so that they may live a healthy life with dignity. Through our U.S. headquarters, Malteser International Americas provides immediate disaster response and preparedness as well as vital healthcare and nutrition to vulnerable people in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

We are part of Malteser International, the humanitarian relief agency of the Order of Malta. With more than 100 projects annually in some 25 countries worldwide, we provide emergency relief after disasters and support recovery efforts, bridging the gap between humanitarian aid and sustainable development. For nearly 60 years, we have been standing by those affected by poverty, disease, conflict and disaster.