Volunteer
How you can help
You can assist teams in Ireland by raising awareness and funds to support our mission to end child hunger.
Whether it's organising fundraising events and starting conversations about our work, or using your skills to support Mary’s Meals in a local office or remotely, there are many ways that you can help to bring hope to vulnerable children by volunteering your time.
Please note, we do not offer voluntary positions in the countries where we serve meals.
Take a look at all of our volunteer roles and find out how you can help us reach the next child waiting for Mary's Meals.
Community volunteer
- Join or Start a Volunteer Group - Link to our volunteer group page
- Tell our story – give talks for schools, groups and churches in your community.
- Help to organise fundraising events such as coffee mornings, quizzes and challenges.
- Distribute and display promotional materials and place collection tins.
- Generate support from businesses in your local area.
Admin volunteer
- Support research and data entry.
- Answer enquiries from supporters.
- Contact community organisations to arrange talks.
- Provide general admin support.
Local media volunteer
- Keep up to date with what Mary’s Meals volunteers and volunteer groups are doing in your region.
- Write articles for local press.
- Contact local radio stations and local news organisations to secure interviews.
- Promoting Mary’s Meals campaigns locally.
Youth engagement volunteer
This role is for people currently working or volunteering with young people. You will:
- Share the mission of Mary’s Meals with young people in the setting where you are based.
- Encourage this group to raise awareness and fundraise.
- Liaise with Mary’s Meals to hear about our latest campaigns and to promote what you are doing.
Business and corporate engagement volunteer
- Contact and engage with local businesses to share the Mary’s Meals story and mission.
- Give talks to business and corporate groups about Mary’s Meals’ work.
- Promote key campaigns throughout the year that companies can support.
Faith representative
- Share leaflets and information in your church community.
- Arrange for annual updates to be given to your church as a talk or in newsletters.
Volunteer with us
Volunteering overseas
Please note, while we rely on local volunteer cooks to ensure children receive much-needed meals every school day, we cannot offer opportunities to volunteer in the countries where our meals are served.
Mary’s Meals is owned and run by local communities, and this is a very deliberate feature of our working model. Our experience is that equal, trusting partnerships between schools, communities and Mary’s Meals are essential to underpin effective school feeding operations and community commitment is key to the long-term success and sustainability of our programme.
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Where We Work
Fundraise
These tireless, generous people generate funds to put food on plates for vulnerable children across the globe every school day. Each of their efforts is inspirational – from a child with pocket money to donate to charity, to fundraising events involving entire communities. Your actions can make a real and lasting change to the lives of children living in some of the poorest countries in the world.
