Tag: Mary’s Meals

Letters: Mary’s Meals Christmas

Dear Editor, 

The charm of the presents under our Christmas tree lies partly in their very different shapes and sizes. Perhaps the same could be said of our own families. None of them look the same.  

Take 12-year-old Hawa – she lives with her granny, an aunt and four cousins in Liberia. Often there is not enough food for her family to eat. 

Mary’s Meals serves nutritious food at school to children living in some of the world’s poorest countries, attracting them into the classroom where they receive an education that can, in the future, be their ladder out of poverty. 

More than two million children receive our life-changing meals every school day – including Hawa. 

I am pleased to tell you that, until 31 January 2022, donations made to our  Double The Love campaign will be matched, up to £1.6 million, by a generous group of supporters.  

Those children receiving Mary’s Meals might not have a pile of presents to unwrap on Christmas morning, but their dreams are alive and well, thanks to those who share our belief that every child should have enough to eat and go to school. 

You can learn more about our work by visiting marysmeals.org.uk 

Have a wonderful Christmas, 

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of Mary’s Meals  

Letters: Support Mary’s Meals and Make a Difference

Dear Editor,

I’d like to make your readers aware of a unique opportunity to make a big difference to the lives of hungry children in the world’s poorest countries this summer.

For anyone who becomes a monthly giver to global school feeding charity Mary’s Meals before the end of August, their first three donations will be tripled, meaning the impact of their regular gifts will go even further.

This is thanks to a group of generous supporters who are making funds available up to £100,000 for tripling donations from new regular givers for a limited period.

Your readers can help Mary’s Meals to access all the available funds by setting up a monthly Direct Debit by 31 August here. (marysmeals.org.uk/tripled).

Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.8 million hungry children in 19 countries every school day.

This funding boost will bring fresh hope to families struggling amidst the continuing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has hit the world’s poorest countries especially hard, and will also help Mary’s Meals in its goal to reach two million children with a nutritious meal every school day.

I am proud to support Mary’s Meals and hope that this summer your readers can take advantage of this incredible opportunity to see their kindness go three times as far.

MARK BEAUMONT, 

Long-distance cyclist, broadcaster and author.

Letters: Support Mary’s Meals this Mother’s Day

Dear Editor,

This Mother’s Day, school feeding charity Mary’s Meals would like to pay tribute to incredible women around the world.

From the mums in the UK whose food has nourished us throughout our childhoods, including those who volunteer and fundraise for Mary’s Meals, to the women who cook and serve our daily meals for children in some of the world’s poorest countries, we celebrate them all.

Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.6 million hungry children in 19 countries every school day.

That’s why I am asking your readers to send a Mary’s Meals gift card to the special women in their lives this Mother’s Day. For just £15.90, it will feed a hungry child every day for an entire school year.

And because the childhood meals our mothers made often stay with us, reminding us of being nurtured and loved, we have included a favourite childhood recipe from TV presenter Lorraine Kelly with each gift card.  

Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/mothersday to purchase your gift card or digital gift.

I know I’d love it if my three lovely children gave me this special present for Mother’s Day.

Gillian McMahon

Director of Supporter Engagement and Income, Mary’s Meals

Picture Copyright Chris Watt Tel – 07887 554 193 info@chriswatt.com www.chriswatt.com

Letters: Mary’s Meals offers last minute Christmas gift choice

Dear Editor

As we approach the end of a year that has been unlike any other, I’m sure some of your readers, like myself, will be thinking of those we hold dear who are unable to join the family Christmas meal this year.

I’d like to suggest a simple, last-minute gift that will help connect people in Edinburgh and Midlothian with their loved ones and feed hungry children around the world.  

Mary’s Meals, a charity reaching more than 1.6 million children every day in some of the world’s poorest countries, is hosting a virtual Christmas dinner.  For just £15.90 – enough to feed a child every day for an entire school year – your readers can set a place at our table for their friends and family. Their name will appear online and we’ll provide a digital placemat to pass on as a present. 

This year your gifts will go twice as far, with each place set now feeding two children with Mary’s Meals for an entire school year. Give until 31 January 2021 and public donations will be doubled by the UK government, up to £2 million – meaning we can reach even more hungry children in Liberia with life-changing school meals.  

Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/Christmas to set your place.  

Wishing you a peaceful and happy Christmas, 

Daniel Adams 

Executive Director, Mary’s Meals UK. 

Letters: Love Reaches Everywhere

Gerard Butler in Liberia as part of a visit to Mary’s Meals projects.

Dear Editor

A beautiful new film about the charity Mary’s Meals, featuring Gerard Butler, has just been released. Love Reaches Everywhere sees the Hollywood actor visiting schools in Liberia and Haiti in the 30-minute feature.

Mary’s Meals normally serves nutritious meals in schools, attracting impoverished children to the classroom where they can gain an education that will one day be their ladder out of poverty. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have developed safe methods of distribution which allow almost all the children who normally enjoy our meals to eat at home instead.

Love Reaches Everywhere shows Gerard, who has starred in films such as 300 and P.S. I Love You, immersing himself in community life – teaching a maths lesson, planting crops in a school garden, carrying water from a local well, and even sharing acting tips with some children.

It is available to watch for free now at marysmeals.org.uk/lovereacheseverywhere. I hope it will be a tonic for your readers at this uncertain time, showing the difference donations made here in the UK can make to little ones living in some of the world’s poorest countries – and proving that love really does reach everywhere.

Daniel Adams 

UK Executive Director of Mary’s Meals 

Picture: Chris Watt

Letters: Support Mary’s Meals on Mother’s Day

Dear Editor

This Mother’s Day, I am thinking about everything women do to give their children the best start in life.

Like the women in countries such as Malawi, Liberia and India, who rise early each day to cook and serve food to hungry children in their communities with the charity Mary’s Meals.

Their dedication epitomises powerful motherly love, and it is thanks to them that Mary’s Meals is able to feed 1.6 million hungry children around the world every school day. The food they lovingly serve attracts little ones into the classroom, giving them the energy to gain an education that can, one day, be their ladder out of poverty.

I am in awe of these incredible women. And that’s why I am asking your readers to send a Mary’s Meals gift card to the special women in their lives this Mother’s Day. For just £15.90, it will feed a hungry child every day for an entire school year.

Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/mothersday to purchase your gift card in honour of the mums who make Mary’s Meals. I have already told my boys this is a gift I would be delighted to receive!

Love,

Sophie Thompson (Actor)

Letters: Mary’s Meals appeal

Dear Editor,

Mary’s Meals has launched an urgent appeal to feed chronically hungry children in Turkana, one of the driest and most impoverished parts of Kenya.

We already serve nutritious meals to more than 23,000 children in nurseries in Turkana, but primary-aged pupils have not received meals since a programme run by another organisation stopped around a year ago. 

Desperate pupils can often be found watching children at neighbouring nurseries being fed, and we have heard heartbreaking reports of children as young as three saving their food to take home for hungry siblings.

Mary’s Meals already feeds more than 1.5 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries every school day. We are determined to continue feeding these children while expanding, as funds allow, to reach primary school children in Turkana.

Your readers can support our appeal by visiting marysmeals.org.uk/turkana or phoning 0800 698 1212.

Best wishes,

Daniel Adams

UK Executive Director of Mary’s Meals

Letter: Mary’s Meals

Dear Editor

With Christmas fast approaching, I’m sure some of your readers, like myself, will have shopping left to do! I would like to suggest a simple but powerful last-minute gift that will change lives. 

This December, Mary’s Meals is hosting a virtual Christmas dinner raising funds to feed hungry children around the world. For just £13.90 – enough to feed a child every day for an entire school year – people in Edinburgh can set a place at our table for their friends and family. Their name will appear online and we’ll provide a digital placemat to pass on as a gift.

Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.5 million children every school day in some of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of a nutritious meal attracts them into the classroom, where they receive an education that can, in the future, be their ladder out of poverty. 

Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/Christmas to set your place.

Wishing you a peaceful and happy Christmas,

Daniel Adams

UK Executive Director of Mary’s Meals