Volunteers' Week: A family effort
Tricia and William's inspiring volunteering story
As Volunteers’ Week approaches, Mary's Meals is recruiting ‘Hope Givers’ – compassionate individuals, groups of friends, or families who want to help change the lives of children living in some of the world’s poorest communities.
Our 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 our 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.
This Volunteers’ Week (Monday, 2 June – Sunday, 8 June), we're celebrating the incredible impact of our volunteers and inviting more people to join our family.
Among those already sharing our story of hope is volunteer Tricia, from the Midlands, and her grandson, William.
A family effort
Tricia was first inspired by Mary's Meals after attending a talk by long-standing volunteer Roger Neuberg. Soon after, 10-year-old William received a Mary’s Meals money box from Roger and watched our 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 more proud of his understanding and his desire to make a difference.”
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! William
Help us feed the future
You can follow in Tricia and William’s footsteps and join our growing family by signing up to become a volunteer. There are a number of ways you can support us, from becoming a speaker and sharing our story in your local community, helping to organise a fundraising event, to providing our teams with general admin support.
Jane Wright, Mary’s Meals Supporter Engagement Officer for East Midlands and East England, says: “We are so thankful to inspirational volunteers like Tricia and William across the UK who are the beating heart of Mary’s Meals. Every little act of love you give as a volunteer helps us reach more hungry children with a daily meal in school. We understand everybody has busy lives, but by donating even just one hour of your time, whenever suits you best around your other commitments, you can be part of something truly life-changing – for the children we strive to reach, and for you.”
Find out more about volunteering with us and help us feed the future – one meal at a time.
