Mary's Meals

Letter from Mary Paterson

In 2010 when the Sunday School completed their first 29 back packs for Mary's Meals, no-one could have predicted the positive impact of supporting the charity, in terms of fund raised for them or the effect that it would have on us as a congregation.

Excluding the two years during Covid, we filled back packs until 2022 when the charity had to retire the Back Pack Project as transportation costs became too costly and pfevious funds redirected, so that the focus stayed firmly on feeding hungry children, at a time of great uncertainty. In total, we sent approximately 2358 back packs. This was a wonderful amount, each bag contained so many carefully chosen items, giving children a small helping hand with their education and improving day to day life for them. To know when we packed the backs into the sacks in the Church hall, that the next time they would see daylight was when the children would receive them, was very emotive. This thought would encourage many of you in your desire to support our fundraising, knowing that everything you gave would end up exactly where it should be. The process of working together to shop, sort, catalogue and eventually pack items for the back packs was never a chore for us; we saw it as a necessity to do good to help others when we ourselves were so fortunate and eventually, that need to help drove us on in our desire to do more.

In 2018, we took on the challenge of raising money to feed an entire school in Zambia for a year. In the beginning, we did wonder if the target of £4,500 was achievable. Our first fundraiser was in February and our last in October; we had not only met our target in the spac of eight months but surpassed it, with a total of £5,151.

There was a need by many to continue to support the charity despite the loss of the Back Pack Project and since 2022, we have had various fundraisers in the autumn months and these to date have raised a further £5,050 in total.

These totals were way beyond anything that we could ever have imagined at the beginning of our journey to support the charity. I also believe that what the children gained in substance, we as a congregation gained in strength with the close working relationships and ultimately friendships, which evolved over time leading us to where we are now - a very strong productive congregation.

Even today, many of you still look back and say how much pleasure you had in filling the back packs, working together side by side, enjoying the friendship and fellowship found in our Church halls; however, it does continue on today in the work with coffee mornings, concerts and lunches, everyone finding their corner and achieving such great results as a team as well as enjoying each others company.

As always, in the words of Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Founder of Mary's Meals:

Burns and Old, you have created many beautiful things (and moments) over the past 15 years through Mary's Meals, thank you does not quite cover it all but for all the hours (and hours) you have spent helping at the back packs and fundraisers and for all your monetary donations which find their way to me throughout the year and not just during our fundraising appeal, a very big thanks you. Thank you too for spreading the word so that family, friends and strangers alike are enlightened about the work of the charity and have donted or become involved to.

As we embark on a new chapter of Church life, may we not consign our efforts to the past but draw on them as inspiration in order to continue to work in supporting the charity in whatever way we can; there is always one more hungry child to feed.

Thank you all once again.

Mary Paterson

John 13 v 34-35

"A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

COFFEE MORNING

Carrying on the tradition of supporting Mary's Meals at Kilsyth Burns & Old, the Mission Group is pleased to advise that we will be holding a Coffee Morning on Saturday 4 October from 10.00am until 12.00 noon in the church hall. Please do come along and enjoy a cup of coffee/tea (and some delicious home baking) to support this worthy cause. Tickets £3.00.

October 2024

This communication was received from Marie Doyle, Interim Executive Director at Mary's Meals following on from our donation to the charity.

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your previous gift of £1,228 to Mary's Meals. Your kindness is bringing food, joy and hope to children who eat Mary's Meals. Allowing them to make the most of their education and giving them a chance at a better future. We've recently witnessed the life changing impact donations like yours can have. In Ethiopia where we have rapidly expanded our feeding programme to reach more than 110,000 childrfen in the war torn drought stricken Tigray region. Across the world more than 2.4million children in 17 countries including Ethiopia, Haiti and South Sudan are sitting in classrooms with full stomachs and learning how to read and write. This is thanks to supporters like you.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support which is providing children with hope and the promise of a better tomorrow. With your gift, we strive to reach the next child waiting for Mary's Meals.

On behalf of the Mission Group, many thanks again everyone. It was a wonderful total realised.

September 2024

The Mission Group would like to extend their gratitude to everyone who helped make the fundraising coffee morning (held earlier this month) such a success.

Thank you to all those who helped at the tearoom, baked and came along to support the event. Thank you too, to all those who kindly handed in donations. The wonderful total of £1228 has been raised to date. This includes £100 from the Mission Group mid-week tea bar and donations from the Sunday tea-bar as well.

Thank you again everyone for continuing to support the charity in their vital work of feeding hungry children. Our donations will feed approximately 64 children for a whole school year based on the cost of £19.15 per child.

In the words of CEO, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, many thanks again

for all your little acts of love.

October 2023

Our fundraiser event for Mary's Meals was held on Sunday 10th September. This was a joint venture with our friends from Kilsyth Anderson Church. Jim Watt, a speaker for Mary's Meals charity, gave a very interesting address on the work carried out by the charity. Jim told us that meals are cooked and distributed at places of education by volunteers, which enables the children to focus on their studies which in time gives them better life opportunities. Jim also told us that it costs £20 which as he put it, is the cost of 2 fish suppers, to feed a child for a year. That is a very humbling fact.

After the service we retired to the large hall where we enjoyed tea, coffee and home baking.

The magnificent sum of £1,133 was realised on the day which was a fantastic amount. The money raised during the month of September from the Sunday teas will also be added in and a final total will be announced later.

Thank you again to everyone who continues to support Mary's Meals both prayerfully and financially.

The Mission Group

September 2023

Along with our friends from Anderson Church, please join us for Mary's Meals Sunday on Sunday 10 September at the usual time of 11.00am.

We will be having Mr Jim Watt, a guest speaker from Mary's Meals to update us on the work of the charity. We hope to have the last part of our morning worship in the Peace Garden, weather permitting. This will be followed by tea/coffee and home baking in the large hall. There will be an opportunity to donate to the charity, if you wish to do so, as you retire from Church.

All are warmly invited.

April 2023

Many of you have been in touch to say how sorry you are to hear that Mary's Meals are closing their charity shops. Daniel Adams, Executive Director of Mary's Meals has announce:

"After much deep consideration, we have taken the very difficult decision to close our six charity shops and warehouse.

In recent years, there has been a steady decline of income from our shops - while the cost of operating them has contined to increase. This means that sadly the shops are no longer a viable sourc of income.

Every day, more than 2.4million children eat Mary's Meals at school. We are always guided by good stewardship and ensuring that we can continue to feed these little ones, whilst striving to reach the next hungry child. We are so grateful for the dedication of our shop and warehouse staff and volunteers to growing Mary's Meals wihin their local communities. Our expectation is that the shops will stay open until the end of September and we will keep the local communities updated as our plans progress.

We hope people in these communities will continue to support us in any way we can; their generosity is helping to feed desperately hungry children in the world's poorest countries and, at a time when we are responding to the devastating earthquake in Syria, it has never been more needed."

I know many of you were frequent visitors to the shops and you will miss them. As a church, we will continue to support the Charity in the best way we can. In the last six months alone, between the Pancake Coffee Morning in October an the Remembrance Tree at Christmas, we have already given the fantastic amount of £1,255.

Thank you for your continued interest and support of Mary's Meals.