get started

Thank you for using your time and energy to help raise funds for nutritious school lunches in Rwanda! We want you to succeed; on this page, there are multiple resources to aid you in your efforts. We’re full of hope for the impact you will make!

ABOUT THE FOOD AND CARE PROGRAM

Food is vital to Africa New Life’s mission of reducing poverty in Rwanda through education: students can’t learn if they are hungry. To help students excel, Africa New Life provides more than 1.5 million lunches each year through its Food and Care Program. These meals help transform the lives of students in Africa New Life schools and in our sponsorship program, families in need of emergency relief, and future pastors at the Africa College of Theology.

Download our Food and Care Program brochure:

Food and Care Program Brochure

PLANNING YOUR FUNDRAISER

  1. Choose your location, date range, and time.
  2. See if friends, neighbors, family, or church members want to join you!
  3. Set up your Facebook fundraiser by clicking here. Facebook fundraisers are a great way for people everywhere to participate in your event. Online donations are tax deductible, and Facebook takes no fees!
  4. Let people choose how much to give rather than asking for a certain amount per donation. People can even make checks payable to Africa New Life that you can mail to our office at the end of your Lemons or Cocoa for Meals event.
  5. We can send you Food and Care brochures to offer interested people. We can also create a unique sponsorship web link to student profiles for your event or supply physical sponsorship cards for you to offer. This is not required. Email amanda.regas@africanewlife.org at least a month in advance of your event so we can have everything to you on time!
  6. Have fun telling your community that you will be holding a lemonade or cocoa stand to raise money for Africa New Life! Use this toolkit’s sample emails, texts, and social media posts! Put up fliers, post on social media, and contact local businesses to get the word out!
  7. Remember to share about Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program! Develop an emotionally compelling WHY behind your fundraiser and be ready to share it.
HAVE FUN!
Don’t forget to tag us on social media! We may share your posts if your account is not set to private.
You can go live on your Facebook and Instagram to share about your event or take people along. Let everyone know how it’s going and post the donation web link in the comments. This is a great time to use some of the wording we’ve provided in your tool kit!
After your event, send in your donations. If anyone donated cash, please deposit it into your bank and then donate it electronically to your online fundraising event instead of mailing it to our office.
Any checks made out to Africa New Life should be mailed in an envelope with a note inside referencing your name and fundraiser.
Mail to:
Africa New Life Ministries
7405 SW Tech Center Drive #144
Portland, OR 97223
Be sure to thank your supporters online and in person. BE PROUD. You helped Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program, providing students with nutritious meals and making a huge difference in their physical health and ability to transform their lives by being able to focus on their education.

FUNDRAISING TEMPLATES

Thank you again for choosing Lemons or Cocoa for Meals and for your efforts to support students in Rwanda with daily, nutritious lunches. As our gift to you, we’ve handled the marketing for you! When you share about your fundraiser with your friends, family, and connections, here are a few templates and talking points for email and social media that you can use for inspiration:

Note: If you have experience with Africa New Life, please include that in your ask. Share why you donate, sponsor, or follow Africa New Life’s work. Make your “why” emotionally compelling when sharing texts, emails, or social media posts.
Please post throughout the month! Post or share stories as you go. People will love watching you accomplish this goal!
  • Did you know that for $25, we can provide 30 meals to students in Rwanda? You can help transform the life of a child with the gift of food!
  • I am hosting a lemonade/hot chocolate stand to support Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program because they have spent 20 years equipping students through education to end cycles of poverty in Rwanda. They want to ensure all students receive healthy lunches that can keep them growing and learning regardless of what’s available at home!
  • I love their mission and want to help. I am hosting a lemonade stand to raise $250 or more for Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program. No donation is too big or small. Here is my fundraising link to support me as I take steps to wipe out poverty in Rwanda! [Fundraising link.] No fees will be taken, and 100% of the funds will go directly to Africa New Life.
  • Thank you for any support, whether it be coming to visit my lemonade/hot chocolate stand or learning more about Africa New Life at africanewlife.org.
  • Becoming a monthly food donor is THE most effective way to help children who need it most. Monthly gifts help keep the school lunch program at Africa New Life, ensuring that we can continue to provide nutritious, consistent meals to students who need them.
  • I am supporting Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program because students in Rwanda are fighting their way out of poverty by getting an education, and children cannot learn if they are hungry! $6 pays for a student to eat for one week! $25 provides enough meals for one month!
  • The price of food in Rwanda has doubled in only a few years. Whether because of sheer poverty, land scarcity, or drought conditions, many families in Rwanda struggle to find enough food to eat consistently. But for $6, a student can eat for a week!
  • Did you know an average meal in Rwanda costs $0.83, which means $25 provides food for a student for a month. We are raising money to help Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program through Lemons/Cocoa for Meals! To make a donation click here: [fundraising link].
  • If you sponsor: I’ve been sponsoring [student’s name] with Africa New Life for [number of months/years]. They have become a huge part of my family’s life here, as we are to them. In honor of [student’s name], I will be hosting a lemonade/hot chocolate stand this month and would love your support. All donations made will go to help Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program to help children like [student’s name] in Rwanda. Just head over to this link to check out more about my lemonade/hot chocolate stand and make a donation: [fundraising link].
SUBJECT LINE: We can make a different through the gift of food! 
Hi [first name],
Did you know that $6 can provide nutritious lunches for a week to one child in Rwanda?
I support Africa New Life because they have spent 20 years equipping children in Rwanda with education so they can end cycles of poverty. Africa New Life understands that no one can function at work or school while hungry, so they have a Food and Care Program dedicated to providing nutritious meals to families and children working hard to transform their future.
I love their mission and want to help. I am going to hold a lemonade/hot chocolate stand to raise $250 or more for Africa New Life’s Food and Care Program. 
All money raised goes towards providing solutions to food scarcity in Rwanda. And the need is high, as droughts have severely impacted the farming and fishing communities that rely on those trades for work and sustenance.
One meal in Rwanda costs .83, so any size donation will make a huge impact.
Follow my link to my Facebook fundraiser. Facebook takes no fees for non-profits, and 100% of fundraising goes straight to Africa New Life’s Food and Care program.
I will keep you posted on my progress!
Thank you for any support, whether it is financial, cheering me on, or learning more about Africa New Life at africanewlife.org.
Thank you!
[Your name]

DOWNLOADABLE LOGO AND PHOTOS

As you prepare and share about your fundraiser, we encourage you to use some of our photos and a Lemons for Meals logo. Are you thinking about making a t-shirt, water bottle, or sticker with the Lemons for Meals logo? Click here to watch a YouTube video and learn how you can make a custom t-shirt; if you would like additional ideas or guidance, email amanda.regas@africanewlife.org.

Download photos and the official Lemons for Meals logo:

Food and Care Program Photos

Lemons for Meals Photos

Cocoa for Meals Photos

Lemons for Meals Logo