Charitable Efforts During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from SUMA founder, Mariana Molina
By: Emily Nguyen
Tags: Foodbanks, Christmas, Give Back, Business, Charity

Charitable Efforts During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from SUMA founder, Mariana Molina

The COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to push an additional 88 to 115 million people into extreme poverty this year, with the total rising to as many as 150 million by 2021. Food banks have seen a rise in demand as families are struggling to attain basic goods in the current economic situation. Now more than ever, we need to unite, help individuals in our community, and advocate for each other.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Mariana Molina, a 1st year student at the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce. Mariana is the founder of SUMA, a charity that aims to help vulnerable communities with basic needs provisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. With her passion for community service, Mariana shared her experiences with starting SUMA and provided some suggestions for individuals who are interested in social activism initiatives.

Mariana Molina, 1st year Rotman Commerce student and founder of SUMA

What is SUMA?

SUMA is a project whose objective is to help the most vulnerable communities of the State of Mexico. Mariana started this project by herself with the help of a friend. After a few months of work, the group now consists of 6 individuals. SUMA’s goals are to:

Contribute to efforts that will put an end to starvation Help families from marginalized communities

Mariana’s group distributes basic items such as food, clothes, and hygienic products to individuals in need. With Christmas approaching, they are also distributing toys to children.

We work in collaboration with Dispensario Médico Tonantzin A.C., a group that has been doing important labor helping marginalized communities in Valle de Bravo for over 30 years. They have helped more than 100,000 families and have gained a strong relationship with the community.

SUMA logo

What are the day-to-day operations of the charity?

Mariana hosts calls with Dispensario Médico Tonantzin A.C. every two days to monitor the amount of donated money. The group also makes posts and stories for their social media channels, such as Instagram. Additionally, they send emails to different corporations and to parent associations in different schools to raise funds and awareness.

Asides from these logistical operations, Mariana detailed the work involved when distributing the donated goods:

When we receive a certain amount of donations, we plan everything for our delivery day. For instance, clothes are separated depending on gender and size. The toys and basic needs products are stocked until our next delivery. Valle de Bravo is 2 hours from the city, so we have to plan everything with time. We usually drive, stay for the whole day and come back. During delivery days we go to different villages to distribute everything.

What motivated you to launch SUMA?

Poverty continues to be a major global issue which the pandemic has worsened. Mariana notes that it was shocking and saddening to see that many individuals do not have access to items that we may take for granted such as food, and other essential products.

COVID-19 has impacted so many households all over the country. Every day you see more people in the streets asking for money. It was devastating seeing all of this happening, so I wanted to help. Living in a developing country has helped open my eyes because I got to see what a lot of families were going through and in which conditions they live.

What have been some of your favourite moments with starting SUMA?

My favourite moment since starting SUMA was when I first had the opportunity to deliver food to the marginalized communities. It is a feeling I cannot put into words. Helping people is extremely heartwarming. When I received the first donation I was so happy to see that people wanted to get involved and help. Additionally, giving toys to children was also one of my favorite experiences, one toy can change their whole day. Visiting their communities makes me realize how lucky I am, and then I am more grateful for what I have. This experience has helped me learn more about my country and grow as an individual.

SUMA aid packages containing food and clothes being delivered to families in Mexico

What are some challenges you faced with starting this initiative during the pandemic?

Starting a charity during a pandemic is no easy feat. With school, social events, and work all shifting online, Mariana’s initiative also had to adapt.

The main challenge of organizing this initiative was that we could not host any in-person fund-raising events. However, digital platforms have helped us so much. We have been able to reach people from all over the world. For instance, we received donations from people in Greece, Brussels, and Hong Kong.

Evidently, SUMA has successfully expanded their reach and found compassionate individuals making donations from different countries.

Another challenge we faced was raising funds amongst teenagers. We realized that teenagers do not have a large budget to make donations. As a result, we focused more on reaching out to corporations, family friends, and the elderly. Many individuals were not aware of the current situation surrounding COVID-19-exacerbated poverty so we had to raise awareness and demonstrate the circumstances of the people we are helping.

Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in social activism work?

If you are interested in social activism work, you can start by thinking about which problem society is currently facing that interests you. Try to learn from other charities that are doing similar projects as the one you want to do and get inspired. Reach out to relatives and talk to them about your project. This will help you find individuals to collaborate with. No matter what your budget is, never give up, and continue reaching out to people and use social media!

This are some great tips. Mariana also stresses that you can always volunteer for an existing non-profit rather than making your own. Change takes time but social activism is an area that allows for a lot of personal growth. Over time, if you find that your interest is not covered by another organization, you can create your own initiative.

Small actions can help make a greater change. — Mariana Molina

It is truly inspiring to see Mariana’s compassionate and selfless efforts during the pandemic. If you would like to get involved with SUMA by donating to their excellent cause, you can reach them on Instagram @sumadespensas.