A charity that feeds hungry children all over the world is recruiting volunteer “Hope Givers” to help change the lives of children living in some of the world’s poorest communities.
Mary’s Meals started in a tin shed in a Scottish village in 2002 after founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow met a 14-year-old boy called Edward in Malawi.
Edward was the eldest of six children, all sitting with their mother, who was dying of AIDS. Magnus asked what he hoped for in life and Edward replied: “I would like to have enough food to eat and to be able to go to school one day.”
This interaction sparked the foundation of Mary’s Meals and today the charity provides nutritious school meals to more than 2.6m children every day across 16 countries, including Malawi, Haiti, India and Syria.
The promise of a good meal attracts these hungry children into the classroom, giving them the energy to learn and hope for a brighter future.
The charity’s low-cost approach means it costs just £19.15 to feed a child every school day for a year. This is only possible because of the thousands of volunteers who give their time, energy and creativity to support the mission.
From community cooks overseas to those who raise funds and awareness in the UK, each act of kindness helps build a world where every child has enough to eat and access to education.
Mary’s Meals is celebrating the incredible impact of its volunteers and inviting more people to join its family. Among those already sharing Mary’s Meals’ story of hope is volunteer Tricia and her grandson, William.
Tricia was first inspired by Mary’s Meals after attending a talk by longstanding volunteer Roger. Soon after, 10-year-old William received a Mary’s Meals money box from Roger and watched the charity’s powerful film, Child 31.
Learning that £19.15 could feed a child for a whole school year, William said: “I already have £20 from my birthday – I want to save a child’s life.”
At just eight years old, William bravely stood in front of 400 fellow pupils at his school assembly to share the story of Mary’s Meals.
Tricia says: “His empathy and enthusiasm are awe-inspiring. His commitment encouraged me to become a volunteer too.”
Since then, the pair have raised a remarkable £2,695 by giving talks and presentations together. Tricia explains: “If any talks fall during school holidays, William will come with me. His story lightens the presentation and inspires my audience. I couldn’t be prouder of his understanding and his desire to make a difference.”
William adds: “There are millions of starving children in the world, and if we each filled a box, we are all helping to save a child’s life. Mary’s Meals is the very best charity I’ve seen – it’s feeding over two and a half million children every day!”
You can join Mary’s Meals’ growing family by signing up to become a volunteer.
You can also support the charity by becoming a speaker and sharing our story with groups or schools, helping organise fundraising events or providing our teams with general admin support. 
We are particularly keen to hear from anyone willing to be a Faith Rep volunteer, to help us share the Mary’s Meals mission in their own parish community.
Visit marysmeals.org.uk to get started or email fran.lawson@marysmeals.org for more information on volunteering or to request a talk.