An Annual Reflection: Highlights and Milestones in 2024

As we step into the new year and reflect on 2024, we are reminded of the incredible generosity and resilience shown by people around the world, even in the face of daunting challenges and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Globally, 2024 was marked by mounting humanitarian needs, as hunger, children out of school, and displacement increased due to conflicts, climate change, extreme weather events, and political and economic instability. Yet, through it all, there were significant milestones and moments of hope that shone a light on the many little acts of love that added up to beneficial growth and change for the nearly 2.5 million children we serve every school day.

These little acts of love remind us of the hope Mary’s Meals brings to the communities in 16 countries where we operate and that everyone’s contributions and prayers – donors, supporters and volunteers, helped to make our school feeding work possible. Even in the most difficult conditions in Tigray, Ethiopia and Haiti, we saw how school feeding continued to bring hope to children, families, and their communities.

Here, we share some of the highlights and moments made possible through the support and collaboration of our partners, donors, supporters and volunteers.

School Feeding Program in Tigray, Ethiopia Grew to Reach 110,000 Children

Building on the successful restart of the school feeding program in 2023 for 10,000 children in war-torn Tigray, Ethiopia, Mary’s Meals in-country partner, the Daughters of Charity rapidly scaled the school feeding program to feed 45,000 children. Within six months, of working with Mary’s Meals, they more than doubled that reach to provide meals to 110,000 children in 200 schools throughout Tigray. The effort was monumental as most schools were damaged, school kitchens destroyed or looted, and many children, families and teachers were displaced by the two-year war and the ensuing drought. An intensive effort to rebuild and provide temporary schools and kitchen shelters, brought children back to classrooms to resume their education, receive a nutritious meal, and help prevent malnutrition and sickness.

Mary’s Meals Responds to Conflicts in Haiti, Syria and Lebanon 

The alarming numbers of acute food insecurity and children out of school globally made our school feeding work as urgent as ever. Violence and conflicts affected food security and disrupted education, resulting in increased child hunger and interrupted education. To that end, our programs in Haiti, Syria, and Lebanon collectively supported school feeding for more than 180,000 children every school day, serving as lifelines for children caught in the path of violence, armed gangs and chronic upheaval. School feeding programs brought children to school, providing nutritious meals, education, and social connection.

Branching out to Mozambique

Mary’s Meals began delivering its first school-feeding program in Mozambique, in May. We added Mozambique to the network of countries we serve as crisis levels of acute food insecurity increased and climate change impacted hunger in the country. Working with in-country partner, the Mozambique School Lunch Initiative (MSLI), Mary’s Meals provides meals to more than 5,000 children in 30 primary schools across the Mabalane district of the Gaza province in southwest Mozambique. The program began on May 20 with many children receiving a school meal for the first time.

A New Film on Turkana, Kenya: Grains of Hope

Mary’s Meals added a new film to its catalog to show the impact of school feeding in remote places where people live in harsh conditions. “Grains of Hope” is a film that gives the pastoralists in Turkana, Kenya, a global voice – it explores the challenges this way of life presents, the resilience of the Turkana people in the face of uncertainly and the role Mary's Meals plays in offering food security and stability to both families and communities in the region, where hope and optimism for the future remain constant.

Mary’s Meals in Zambia Celebrated 10 Years of School Feeding

In the fall, Mary’s Meals celebrated 10 years of school feeding in Zambia. It was a huge accomplishment for Country Director Panji Kajani, who built the Zambia school feeding program from the ground up beginning in Chipata, in Zambia’s Eastern Province. A decade later, having fostered community and government relationships, sourced local food suppliers, and recruited and trained hundreds of volunteers to cook and serve school meals, the program is a success and forms part of the research Mary’s Meals conducts for its annual Impact Report. Starting with 25 schools with 18,000 children in 2014, today, Mary’s Meals provides meals to more than 400,000 children in 1,000 schools across 11 districts.

The 2023 Mary’s Meals Impact Report 

Over the summer, Mary’s Meals released its 2023 Annual Impact Report. It showed a direct correlation between its school feeding programs in five countries and positive outcomes for children's overall health and educational development. Across Mary’s Meals feeding programs, daily meals have proven to be the catalyst for children to attend school, as confirmed by the report. The report highlighted several positive results from the feeding programs. With a daily meal, 84% of children never left school early because of hunger, and 99% of teachers stated that meals reduced the number of children dropping out. The report also noted that school feeding increased children’s ability to focus, participate and learn. Before a meal, 36% of children felt they could concentrate well; this increased to 98% after eating.

Mary’s Meals USA Marked 15 Years

In its 15th year supporting Mary’s Meals’ global school feeding initiatives across 16 countries, countless individuals—donors, supporters, volunteers, and ambassadors—contributed their time, talents, and resources in inspiring, creative and meaningful ways. Their efforts have amplified the impact of our school feeding programs, which make a difference every day for vulnerable children. While we wish we could acknowledge everyone, we’ve highlighted just a few here.

Going the Distance for Mary’s Meals USA

Last Spring, Mary’s Meals supporters across three US states participated in marathons, 5K races and walks to raise funds for and awareness of our school-feeding programs. People laced up their sneakers and put their training and endurance to the test in Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and Iowa. 

On May 5 in Pennsylvania, Mary’s Meals Ambassador Carlin Long led a team of 14 runners in the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon. The team raised more than $1900 as part of the 10th anniversary of the Cynthia Kitchen Project (CKP), which provides meals for children in Malawi. The project is named in honor of Carlin’s late friend, Cynthia Phillipson, whose passion project was Mary’s Meals. 

On the same day, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Irish seminarian Conan McGonagle joined thousands of runners in the Lincoln Marathon on behalf of Mary’s Meals. Originally from Limavady, Co. Derry, in Northern Ireland, Conan decided to run his first half-marathon back in November. He then challenged himself to train and run a full marathon just five months later, which he successfully completed! Proudly wearing his Mary’s Meals t-shirt during both marathons, Conan wanted to bring attention to the organization.

The following weekend was Mother’s Day, and on May 11, the 11th annual Race to Feed Kids took place in Des Moines, Iowa. More than 230 people participated in the 5K Race/Walk to raise funds for Mary’s Meals through the Heartland for Kids organization. Mary’s Meals Iowa Coordinator, Ellen Miller, said the event generated enough funds to feed 821 children in Malawi!

Summertime Fun Time Concerts for a Cause

This past summer, the Mary’s Meals USA calendar was filled with concerts throughout the Midwest, from Missouri and Iowa to Ohio. Mary’s Meals supporters and people new to our mission joined the festivities to enjoy live music, food, fellowship, and family-friendly activities and learn about Mary’s Meals and how to support our school feeding work. In June, the concert season began in Missouri at a hilltop winery and continued in Iowa during August, ending in mid-September with a first-time concert in Ohio.

On June 20, more than 150 people gathered on a summer evening to enjoy a meal and music, have fun and support Mary’s Meals USA. It was the 6th annual Concert to Benefit Mary’s Meals, hosted by the Canterbury Hill Winery & Restaurant in Summit Holt, Missouri. Two Nashville, Tennessee bands, Drop Dead Dangerous and Phoenix Mendoza, performed, both returning for their fourth year in support of Mary’s Meals. Organized by Mary’s Meals USA regional coordinator Michelle Keller, the event raised $11,315.

Across Iowa, Mary’s Meals supporter Steve Angrisano held a 10-concert summer series in August, bringing his family-friendly performances to churches, schools and venues across the state. Steve, an internationally recognized Catholic composer, and an award-winning musician, also leads music during Catholic conferences like the Christ Our Life Catholic conference in Des Moines, Iowa, where Magnus and Julie MacFarlane-Barrow had spoken. Collectively, several hundred people attended the concerts across Iowa, raising both funds and awareness of Mary’s Meals.

Closing out the month of August in Iowa on the 31st, the 8th annual Concert to Benefit Mary’s Meals was held at the Jasper Winery in Des Moines. Michelle brought back Drop Dead Dangerous and Phoenix Mendoza to perform for more than 550 attendees at the family-friendly event that raised $31,000.

The final concert of the summer season was held on September 15 in Gahanna, Ohio—just outside of the capital of Columbus. Popular local band, The Navigators played to 300 people during the first Concert for a Cause to benefit Mary’s Meals in Ohio. This family-friendly event included many activities for children, food and beverages, sponsor tables, and between band sets, Mary’s Meals USA Regional Development Officer Bill Gavin and other staff spoke about the mission and work of Mary’s Meals. The event raised $30,000 and is hoped to become an annual event.

Hiking for Hope

A 26-mile rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon might not be the typical way to celebrate a 75th birthday, but for retiree Dale Heider, it was the perfect choice. Following a series of encounters with people facing hardships, Dale was inspired to make this canyon hike “count.” More than a milestone, Dale embarked on this journey to raise funds for Mary's Meals, a global school-feeding charity.

Joined by his friend and fellow hiker, Dave Lensing, Dale undertook this rigorous trek—his third in the national park. The two residents of Humboldt, Iowa, trained diligently to prepare for the adventure, completing the hike on September 25 in over 20 hours. Despite the challenges of rigorous terrain and changing altitudes, they focused on their mission and the stunning beauty of the canyon. The duo completed their incredible journey, raising $8500!

New Year Offers Renewed Hope

While this new year will undoubtedly bring new challenges, it will also present new opportunities to reach more children waiting for a meal at school. We look forward to this new year with hope. And as the Pope has called on people to be Pilgrims of Hope, our founder and CEO, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow said, “Hope is a word that has informed and inspired the work of Mary’s Meals since the beginning (in 2002).”