What better way to open up the hearts and minds of others than giving away delicious vegan food? That’s exactly how two of our outreach interns in DC, Andrea Roccanti and Shebani Rao, are spending their summer! With the support of VegFund, Andrea and Shebani hosted an “Ask-A-Vegan” table outside of a busy Giant grocery store in DC.
Speaking with today’s inquisitive and energetic youth about compassion for animals can be one of the most encouraging and rewarding experiences. As a former teacher in DC, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a handful of schools, from elementary through high school, in and around the nation’s capital to meet with students and share information about animals, where our food comes from, and the many benefits of choosing vegetarian foods.
Last Thursday evening, on June 9, as thousands of Glee fans flocked to Washington, DC’s Verizon Center for the sold-out “Glee Live!” concert, COK interns and volunteers were on hand with trays of free vegan food and stacks of pro-vegetarian literature.
COK’s popular “Ask Me Why a I’m Vegetarian” t-shirt offers more than just a message. When you wear this shirt around town, it encourages others to strike up a conversation giving you the opportunity to discuss the many benefits of leaving animals off our plates.
And to help send this message home, every time someone asks you “Why?” you can now give them our new TryVeg.com business card, reminding them to visit our website for more information and to request a free Vegetarian Starter Guide. The back of the card offers an empowering message: “every time we sit down to eat, each one of us can stand up for animals, our health, and the planet simply by choosing vegetarian foods.”
During the spring and summer months, community-based festivals pop up everywhere, and they offer amazing opportunities to reach out to others about the benefits of leaving animals off our plates. Last weekend, Compassion Over Killing staff and volunteers were hard at work in both Washington, DC and Los Angeles staffing educational booths at two popular events: Strut Your Mutt on May 21 and WorldFest on May 22.
COK staff and volunteers were out on the streets of DC again to promote compassion: this time, in front of the Washington Nationals’ baseball stadium. On May 2, before the game started, we gave away over 100 free Field Roast vegan sausauge samples to veg-curious passersby! The response was wonderful: in addition to dozens of people asking where they could get veggie hot dogs and sausages, several people came back after tasting the Field Roast to tell us how much they liked it and to pick up more information about vegetarian eating to share with their friends and family.
This summer, encouraging a friend or family member to choose vegan foods can be as easy as taking them to a movie, thanks to two new documentaries highlighting the benefits of vegan eating: Forks Over Knives and Planeat.