How your monthly donations can help Mary’s Meals go further
Changing the story together helps us keep our promise to the millions of children who already rely on our meals.
However you choose to play a part in our work – by donating, sponsoring a fundraiser, or even launching your own fundraising initiative; by reading The Shed That Fed 2 Million Children or giving a copy as a gift; by talking to others about Mary’s Meals or praying for our work – everyone can bring their own unique contribution to this vital mission to serve nutritious meals to children in their place of education.
Our grassroots movement of volunteers, supporters, and fundraisers is a powerful driving force that helps to make amazing things happen. Those individuals, and the generous gifts they give, play a vital role in helping us to keep our promise to the millions of children who already rely on our meals.
Their steadfast support also allows us to make plans to extend our reach so that even more children – many of whom have no food at home – can look forward to receiving daily meals in school.
The impact of monthly donations
One of the most impactful ways you can support our work is by signing up to become a monthly donor. Monthly donations help us to:
- Keep our promise – a consistent and reliable flow of donations is the bedrock of our income because it enables us to feel confident about keeping our promise to the children we serve. Our commitment to providing nutritious daily meals not only lessens the worry of schoolchildren who have very little food at home but also provides a social safety net for families made vulnerable by poverty, climate change, or conflict.
- Grow and respond – when supporters commit to giving monthly donations, it helps to inform our decisions to expand the reach of our programme, edging us ever closer to our vision that every child receives one daily meal in their place of education and that all those who have more than they need, share with those who lack even the most basic things. During a crisis or when needs unexpectedly shift, monthly donations mean our teams can start planning immediately. Urgent problematic events – such as the Covid-19 pandemic – are incredibly hard to anticipate, and being able to plan in this way means we can focus on the agility of the school feeding programme in the area in question, and our ability to pivot and react in times of great need, rather than considering whether we can keep it running when circumstances out of our control change.
- Learn and innovate – monthly donations allow us to learn more about our programme and be innovative. Our teams are always on the lookout for more environmental and inclusive ways to deliver school feeding, and a regular source of income helps us to ensure our processes – such as localised food procurement and improving the sustainability of our programme – are as effective as they can be.
- Maintain our programme – thanks to sustained support, we are able to carry out essential maintenance of our programme such as replacing stoves and mugs when necessary. This is particularly important in some countries where our school feeding programme has been running for a long time, for example in Malawi where we have been serving children for more than 20 years.
What do you get in return?
In many of our fundraising countries, registering to give a monthly donation means you’ll be invited into The Story – an exclusive group for monthly donors.
Being a part of this group gives you early access to Mary’s Meals content through The Next Chapter, a monthly email newsletter.
As a recipient of The Next Chapter, you’ll be the first to know about exciting news and updates from Mary’s Meals as thanks for your continued support.
Putting hope on the menu with Mary’s Meals
One of the most beautiful parts of Mary’s Meals is people coming together, offering whatever they can – time, resources, or prayers – to bring much-needed school meals to some of the world’s poorest children.
We understand that not everyone is in a position to sign up for a monthly donation and we appreciate each and every gift and effort towards our work. But for those who decide to give in this way, we have tried to make the process as simple as possible.
Help put hope on the menu this Christmas – contribution of any size is transformative! However you choose to support our work, thank you.
Clare Nolan is Head of Programme Development at Mary's Meals International. She leads Mary’s Meals’ Development function which focuses on need and sustainability, as well as impact and learning from across our global programmes.
It costs just €22 to provide a child with school meals for an entire school year. There are many ways you can help support our work and help us reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals. There may even be a Mary's Meals office or volunteer group in your area. Learn more about how you can get involved and make a difference.
