Filling Bowls Around the World / Quarterly Newsletter
Issue No.1 | Summer 2025
Welcome!
"A meal not only nourishes the body, it allows the soul and mind to thrive."
- Greg and Julie Stivers (FBAW founders)
Welcome to the first official newsletter from Filling Bowls Around the World (FBAW)! We’re so grateful to have you on this journey with us. Together, we are nourishing bodies and bringing HOPE one meal at a time!
New Website Live NOW!
We are excited to announce the official launch of our website on August 5th (TODAY!) and are actively working toward securing our 501(c)(3) status. With your encouragement and support we’ve already accomplished so much, click the link below to read our story, learn more about our mission, and donate!
After returning from Niger in January of this year, we identified a clear and urgent need to improve food accessibility. Our first partner, WAYYO, operated feeding centers providing just three meals per week and was preparing to open a new center with virtually no funding.
In partnership with Michael Thaler, founder of Effective Ministries (and the one who inspired our journey!), we began devising a plan to increase frequency of meals being provided. Thanks to an incredible outpouring of support, within three months we were able to:
✅ Increase meals from 3 to 5 per week ✅ Fully fund the launch of the new center ✅ Feed 1,251 children (5x a week) across 5 centers ✅ Provide over 27,000 meals every month
📍Current Impact by Location:
Niamey – 182 children | 4,004 meals/month
Kornaka – 501 children | 11,022 meals/month
Dosso – 207 children | 4,554 meals/month
Diffa – 199 children | 4,378 meals/month
Tillabéri – 162 children | 3,564meals/month
TOTAL MEALS TO DATE = 79,750
Our Commitment to You
We personally cover 100% of administrative costs, so every dollar you give goes directly to feeding children in need.
Click the link below to donate to our cause! Until we finalize our 501(c)(3) status, all donations are being processed through our partner, Effective Ministries.
We extend our deepest gratitude to these individuals who jumped right in with us from the very beginning:
Rob Finnegan
Kim Magnano
Sally & Dan Caldwell
Andy & Maureen Birken
Kurt & Megan Larkin
Thank you for trusting us and helping turn a dream into a reality!
Faces of Gratitude
Real Stories from the Children You’re Helping
📸 Boubacar Ousmane Gala,
Age 13 – Dosso
“I am a talibé—a student of the Koran. My parents live far away in a village, and I was sent to Dosso to study. But life is very hard. I used to beg every day for food. Sometimes, people gave me spoiled food. Sometimes they chased me away or treated me like a dog. But two years ago, WAYYO opened a center here. We were eating three days a week, and now it has increased to five! We are treated with respect, we eat well, and we even receive small gifts. It feels like family. Thank you to everyone who made this happen, you’ve changed my life.”
📸 Aboubacar Hamada,
Age 10 – Tillabéri
"When I first arrived at the WAYYO center, I thought it was a party. There was food everywhere! I ate until I was full. I brought my two little brothers the next day, and now we come every day.
My mom didn’t have enough to feed us, and we used to beg for crumbs. But now, we have food. I love the teachings too—they give me hope. One day, I stayed until the end and collected leftover food in a bag to bring to my mother. She was so happy.
I don’t know who sends this food, but I want to thank them. I pray that God blesses them.”
Looking Ahead: What’s Next
We are working to expand our impact by partnering with two new organizations (MGD and INIST) that support feeding centers:
MGD: Urgently needs funding to prevent the closure of two existing centers.
$780/monthly
$9,360/annually
INIST (with Effective Ministries): Launching economic development efforts in Dantchandou (village in the Southwestern region of Niger). FBAW hopes to support the feeding component of this initiative, helping create a sustainable future for the entire village.
$6,258/monthly
$75,096/annually
We believe food access and economic opportunity go hand in hand—both are critical to long-term transformation.
Other Ways To Get Involved
We understand that not everyone has the financial means to donate to us right now, so here are some alternate ways to support us!
Pray for us and the communities we serve!
Talk to friends and family who could potentially help out. Spread the word!
Join us on our volunteer missions!
If you have further questions about how you can help or simply want to chat with us, our inbox is always open! Please email us at info@fillingbowls.org with any questions or thoughts you may have!
Thank you for joining us on this journey. Together, we are filling bowls and bring HOPE, one meal at a time!
