One year after Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of Mary’s Meals, spoke at the Christ Our Life Iowa conference, Iowans have responded to his mission by providing funds to build three school kitchens in the African nation of Malawi.
Thanks to teenager Allison Ockenfels, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Wellman, parishes in Wellman, Richmond and Riverside contributed funds to build a Malawi kitchen and pay for food for one year for another Malawi kitchen. In central Iowa, donations have built two kitchens in Malawi.
While in Iowa, MacFarlane-Barrow will speak at three free, public events over three days. In the Davenport Diocese, on Monday, Sept. 26, he’ll offer a presentation titled, “Thankfully, Charity Begins at Home” with a question-and-answer session from 7-9 p.m. at St. Mary Church, 360 Washburn St., Riverside.
Other events are as follows:
– Saturday, Sept. 24: Mary’s Meals question-and-answer session and reception, 6:15-8 p.m., St. Pius X Parish Center, 3663 66th St., Urbandale.
– Sunday, Sept. 25: “Unity in the Community: Fighting World Hunger,” 4-5:30 pm, Indianola High School Auditorium, 1304 E. First Ave., Indianola .
Mary’s Meals provides meals in school daily for some 557,249 children in 16 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and eastern Europe at a global average cost of $15 annually per child.
