Marys Meals Usa Inc

TO RAISE DONATIONS TO (I) PROVIDE A DAILY MEAL IN A PLACE OF EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN IN THE WORLD'S POOREST COMMUNITIES; (II) OCCASIONALLY PROVIDE RELIEF FOR THOSE SUFFERING, IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, AS A RESULT OF HUMANITARIAN CRISES, ESPECIALLY BY PROVIDING CARE FOR ORPHANED, ABANDONED AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN; AND (III) RAISE AWARENESS OF POVERTY ISSUES THROUGH EDUCATION. MMUSA GRANTS SUCH DONATIONS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MMUSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS THROUGH MARY'S MEALS INTERNATIONAL, HEADQUARTERED IN DALMALLY, SCOTLAND, FOR SPECIFIC COUNTRY PROGRAMS.

MARY'S MEALS USA PROVIDES GRANTS TO MARY'S MEALS INTERNATIONAL (MMI) TO FUND ITS SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS GLOBALLY. THE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM PROVIDES A DAILY MEAL IN A PLACE OF EDUCATION TO CHRONICALLY POOR CHILDREN, ATTRACTING THEM TO THE CLASSROOM WHERE THEY CAN GAIN A BASIC EDUCATION THAT PROVIDES AN ESCAPE ROUTE FROM POVERTY. SCHOOL FEEDING PROJECTS ARE SET UP IN SOME OF THE WORLD'S POOREST COMMUNITIES, WHERE POVERTY AND HUNGER PREVENT CHILDREN FROM GAINING AN EDUCATION. PROJECT LOCATIONS ARE HOUSED IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IN 20 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. THE MEALS REDUCE HUNGER FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS, INCREASES SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, REDUCES CHILDREN'S WORRY ABOUT BEING HUNGRY, AND ALLOWS CHILDREN TO BE MORE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR LESSONS. MMUSA PROVIDED MARY'S MEALS INTERNATIONAL WITH GRANTS THAT CONTRIBUTED WITHTHE GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO: BEGIN WORKING IN YEMEN, THE 20TH PROGRAM COUNTRY EXPAND OUR PROGRAMS IN 12 COUNTRIES, PROVIDING AN INCREDIBLE 425,209 CHILDREN WITH MARY'S MEALS FOR THE FIRST TIME EITHER WITH MEALS IN-SCHOOL OR THROUGH COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTIONS WHILE CHILDREN DO THEIR BEST TO LEARN FROM HOME DUE TO COVID-19. CONTINUE TO GROW THE GLOBAL MOVEMENT THROUGH OUR NETWORK WITH VARIOUS FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES AND CAMPAIGNSIN 2021, COVID-19 HAS CONTINUED TO SWEEP ACROSS THE GLOBE AND NECESSARY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN PLACED TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS, INCLUDING PROLONGED SCHOOL CLOSURES IN COUNTRIES WHERE MARY'S MEALS OPERATES. DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, WE HAVE MADE A PROMISE TO PROVIDE ONE DAILY MEAL TO THE CHILDREN WE SUPPORT, AND WE REMAIN RESOLUTE IN OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SERVE ALL TWO MILLION CHILDREN WHO ARE PART OF OUR FEEDING PROGRAM. IN DOING SO, WE ADAPTED TO A COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION APPROACH IN COUNTRIES WHERE SCHOOLS CLOSED DUE TO RISING COVID-19 CASES. THROUGH THIS APPROACH, MARY'S MEALS DISTRIBUTED FOOD WHICH WOULD NORMALLY BE PREPARED BY VOLUNTEERS AND SERVED TO CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS TO PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF BENEFICIARIES TO COOK AT HOME INSTEAD. FOLLOWING A DROP IN COVID-19 CASES AND VACCINE UPDATE GLOBALLY, MARY'S MEALS IS DELIGHTED TO REPORT THAT IN MOST OF OUR PROGRAM COUNTRIES, CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR CLASSROOMS AS SCHOOLS HAVE NOW REOPENED. DESPITE THE CHALLENGING CONTEXT, THE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE BUILT WITH COMMUNITIES WHERE WE WORK HAVE ALLOWED US TO REINSTATE OUR NORMAL SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM SMOOTHLY IN THOUSANDS OF SCHOOLS. MARY'S MEALS UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS IN REVERSING THE POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN.AS A RESULT OF OUR DEEP RESOLVE TO REACH MORE CHILDREN, WE ARE THRILLED TO REPORT THAT WE ARE NOW FEEDING OVER TWO MILLION CHILDREN IN 20 COUNTRIES ACROSS OUR GLOBAL PROGRAMS. THIS A PHENOMENAL ACHIEVEMENT AND WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HELP MARY'S MEALS USA PROVIDED. THANKS TO SUPPORT RECEIVED, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GROW FROM FEEDING IN JUST ONE SCHOOL IN MALAWI IN 2002 TO FEEDING OVER TWO MILLION CHILDREN IN 4,750 PLACES OF EDUCATION ACROSS THE GLOBE.THROUGHOUT 2021, OUR SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM GREW BY 441,082 CHILDREN, REPRESENTING A REMARKABLE 24% GROWTH RATE. THIS INCLUDES NATURAL GROWTH AND THE 425,209 CHILDREN REACHED THROUGH EXPANSIONS INTO 1,339 PLACES OF EDUCATION. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT AND IS TESTAMENT TO THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MARY'S MEALS SCHOOL FEEDING MODEL AND THE HARD WORK OF OUR TEAMS GLOBALLY WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO REACH THOUSANDS OF NEW CHILDREN SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. THANKS TO THESE EXPANSIONS, WE ARE NOW REACHING A TOTAL OF 2,279,941 CHILDREN IN 20 COUNTRIES ACROSS THE GLOBE, INCLUDING 1,665,016 CHILDREN ACROSS FOUR PROGRAM AFFILIATES AND 614,925 CHILDREN ACROSS 25 PROGRAM PARTNERS. AS PART OF WORKING TOWARDS FEEDING THE NEXT CHILD, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO REPORT THAT WE ARE NOW FEEDING IN OUR 20TH PROGRAM COUNTRY. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, 4,400 CHILDREN ARE RECEIVING MARY'S MEALS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE ADEN REGION. THIS DISTRICT IS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE AS IT IS HOME TO A LARGE NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE/MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS WHO ALL EXPERIENCE EXTREMELY HIGH LEVELS OF FOOD INSECURITY. THIS INTERVENTION COULD NOT COME AT A MORE NEEDED TIME AS YEMEN'S LONGSTANDING CIVIL WAR AND INSTABILITY, WHICH WAS INTENSIFIED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, CONTINUES TO ESCALATE. OVER THE COURSE OF 2021, MARY'S MEALS WAS ABLE TO REACH OVER 21,000 CHILDREN ACROSS 26 SCHOOLS IN MALAWI. THE COUNTRY HAS REPORTED A HIGH NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES IN LINE WITH A TREND SEEN ACROSS SOUTHERN AFRICA, RESULTING IN A THIRD WAVE OF INFECTIONS EARLY IN 2021. OUR COMMITMENT TO THE CHILDREN ENROLLED IN OUR SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM HAS NOT WAVERED AND WE SUPPORTED CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE PROVISION OF TAKE-HOME RATIONS. AFTER IN-SCHOOL FEEDING COULD START AGAIN IN SEPT. 2021, MARY'S MEALS WAS ABLE TO TRANSITION BACK QUICKLY TO OUR IN-SCHOOL FEEDING MODEL ONCE AGAIN.ZAMBIA CONTINUES TO FACE ONGOING CHALLENGES WITH COVID-19, AS WELL AS EXISTING ISSUES OF INEQUALITY, POVERTY, AND MALNUTRITION. AS A RESULT, THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATION IN ZAMBIA'S EASTERN PROVINCE IS EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE SEVERELY. THIS PROMPTED MARY'S MEALS TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY TO REACH AN INCREDIBLE 113,000 CHILDREN IN 260 SCHOOLS, REPRESENTING A REMARKABLE 34% GROWTH RATE IN JUST 1 YEAR. THANKS TO THESE EXPANSIONS, WE ARE NOW REACHING A TOTAL OF 376,000 CHILDREN ACROSS MULTIPLE DISTRICTS IN ZAMBIA'S EASTERN PROVINCE. IN MADAGASCAR, OUR EXPANSIONS REACHED OVER 18,000 CHILDREN IN 60 PRIMARY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE VATOVAVY FITOVINANY REGION OF THE COUNTRY IN OCT. 2021. THANKS TO THIS GROWTH, WE ARE REACHING A TOTAL OF 66,500 CHILDREN. WE ARE ALSO SUPPORTING 360 CHILDREN AS A PART OF OUR SPECIAL FEEDING PROGRAM THAT OPERATES IN SIX DETENTION CENTERS IN MADAGASCAR. WITH THE SHORT AND LONG-TERM IMPACT OF COVID-19, THE SUSTAINED SOCIO-POLITICAL TURBULENCE, AND THE COUNTRY'S VULNERABILITY TO THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, THE NEED FOR MARY'S MEALS HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER IN HAITI. EXPANSIONS IN OCTOBER 2021 IS NOW FEEDING AN ADDITIONAL 33,800 CHILDREN IN 90 SCHOOLS. IN TOTAL, MARY'S MEALS IS REACHING OVER 182,000 CHILDREN IN 562 SCHOOLS ACROSS HAITI, PROVIDING A CRUCIAL LIFELINE FOR CHILDREN ON THE ISLAND. IN ADDITION, FOLLOWING A 7.2 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE IN AUG. 2021, WE COLLABORATED WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE VITAL FOOD RATIONS AND OTHER ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO THOSE SUFFERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE EARTHQUAKE BY LAUNCHING THE HAITI CRISIS APPEAL AND PROVIDED FOOD PACKS CONTAINING RICE AND BEANS, SAFE WATER, AND TARPAULINS TO HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES.SOUTH SUDAN IS IN THE GRIP OF A DEVASTATING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AFTER ONLY 8 YEARS SINCE THEY GAINED INDEPENDENCE. WITH POLITICAL CONFLICT AND YEARS OF CIVIL WAR COMPOUNDED BY ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AND CLIMATIC SHOCKS SUCH AS DROUGHT, SOUTH SUDAN IS EXPERIENCING A HUNGER CRISIS AS 60% OF THE POPULATION DOES NOT HAVE SECURE ACCESS TO FOOD. OVER 70% OF CHILDREN ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, PUTTING THEIR FUTURES AND THE FUTURE OF THEIR COUNTRY AT RISK. MARY'S MEALS HAS GROWN FROM FEEDING 46,500 CHILDREN IN DEC. 2020 TO FEEDING 70,000 CHILDREN IN DEC. 2021, REPRESENTING A REMARKABLE 34% GROWTH RATE IN ONE YEAR. AS A RESULT, WE ARE NOW PROVIDING DAILY MEALS IN 116 SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL-NORTHERN SOUTH SUDAN. ADDITIONALLY, MARY'S MEALS HAS ALSO BEGUN FEEDING IN 12 NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE NORTHWEST REGION OF SOUTH SUDAN (PREVIOUSLY PART OF SUDAN), PROVIDING A LIFELINE TO ANOTHER 5,000 EXTREMELY VULNERABLE CHILDREN. AT THE END OF 2020, A BRUTAL CONFLICT BROKE OUT BETWEEN FEDERAL AND GOVERNMENT FORCES IN THE TIGRAY REGION OF ETHIOPIA WHERE OUR FEEDING PROGRAM OPERATES. THE PEOPLE OF TIGRAY ARE LIVING IN A STATE OF BESIEGED HUNGER AS ACCESS TO THE REGION IS AFFECTED BY AN IMPOSED BLOCKADE WITH ONLY SPORADIC ACCESS TO HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES. WITH NO FUEL FOR ANY AID OPERATIONS ALLOWED INTO THE REGION SINCE AUGUST 2021, HELP HAD TO BE REDUCED OR SUSPENDED, INCLUDING CRITICAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD, WATER, HEALTH, AND NUTRITION SERVICES. NORMALLY, MARY'S MEALS WOULD HAVE PROVIDED OUR SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM IN TIGRAY. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE UNREST AND SAFETY CONCERNS, WE WERE ABLE TO PIVOT OUR SERVICES AND PROVIDE A DAILY MEAL TO 30,000 IDPS WHO FLOODED INTO MEKELLE TO ESCAPE THE VIOLENCE INSTEAD. IT ALLOWED FOR OUR PARTNER TO SET UP LEARNING, WELLBEING, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN IN THE IDP CAMP.WE ARE PLEASED TO SHARE THAT THE AREAS WE EXPANDED IN WERE IN COUNTRIES THAT WERE FACED WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT NEEDED OUR ATTENTION, IN ADDITION TO COVID-19. IT FURTHER SHOWS OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING SERVICES TO WHERE THEY ARE MOST NEEDED. MARY'S MEALS USA REMAINS THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT WE RECEIVE FOR EACH CHILD THAT IS ABLE TO GET A MEAL IN A PLACE OF EDUCATION.

MARY'S MEALS USA ALSO FOCUSES ON EDUCATION AND AWARENESS RAISING PROGRAMS IN THE US ON THE IMPACT OF CHILD HUNGER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS. THIS AWARENESS-RAISING PROGRAM PORTION OF THE WORK ALLOWS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE US VOLUNTEERS TO JOIN MARY'S MEALS AND BECOME ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN IN POVERTY. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS VISIT SCHOOLS, GROUPS, AND ORGANIZATIONS TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE WORK OF MARY'S MEALS. MARY'S MEALS USA PROVIDES DOCUMENTARY FILMS, BROCHURES, AND OTHER MATERIALS TO SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS. REGULAR EMAILS AND LETTERS ARE SENT TO THOSE WHO HAVE REQUESTED UPDATES SO THE INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.