St. Mark's Meals Provide Food For Hungry Minds
Who are St Mark’s Meals and what do they do?
St. Mark's Meals is an initiative driven by the belief that no child should have to suffer the pain of hunger and they work hard to alleviate that among children throughout Milton Keynes. Their mission is to ensure that every child has access to a nourishing dinner, so they can go to school free from the burden of hunger.
They deliver meals where and when they’re needed most, ensuring that no child goes to bed on an empty stomach. Rooted in the tradition of sharing, St. Mark's Meals stands by the ethos of the church, where food isn’t just diet but a catalyst for growing communities and nurturing relationships.
What support did St Mark’s Meals need?
With demand expected to increase significantly, St. Mark's Meals knew they needed additional support to meet the needs of the community.
Demand for food boxes was expected to be a staggering 1083 meals over 6 months, so they needed financial assistance to ensure that no child went hungry.
While St. Mark's Meals relies on different income sources, including regular donations, one-time contributions, grants, fundraisers, and corporate sponsorships, the scale of demand meant they needed to bridge the gap between available resources and the growing need for meal boxes.
Provided 4,119 Meal Boxes
Creating 16,476 Plates of Dinner
Partnered with 101 schools, children's centres and groups
What difference did the grant make?
The £10,000 Cost of Living grant had a significant impact for St. Mark's Meals, making an invaluable difference in their ability to continue their mission of feeding hungry children's tummies across Milton Keynes. St. Mark's Meals was able to provide a substantial number of meal boxes, 4,119 boxes in 2022-23, the equivalent to approximately 16,476 plates of dinner for children and their families.
They partnered with 101 community schools, children's centres, and groups, so they could distribute these meal boxes to the families that needed them most. The meals helped to alleviate hunger and encouraged better educational engagement, improved mental health, and reduced anxiety for both children and their parents.
One Milton Keynes teacher said:
“Following a parent discussing their financial difficulties and us offering a St Mark’s Meals box, a child had drawn a picture of him and his mum cooking together. He mentioned he hadn’t cooked with his mum before and the meal turned out great. He was very proud.”
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About the author
MK Community Foundation