Maryland’s Montgomery County Proclaims Meatless Monday

Last Thursday,  the Montgomery County Council issued a “Meatless Monday” Proclamation officially endorsing a nationwide effort to promote kinder, climate-friendlier, and healthier foods. Compassion Over Killing worked with the Council on this initiative and applauds the County for taking this important step in promoting the many benefits of choosing more plant-based foods. (View the Proclamation as a PDF)

By signing this Proclamation, Montgomery County now joins a growing list of governmental jurisdictions officially recognizing and encouraging residents to participate in Meatless Monday, including Washington, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boone, NC.  And the County’s endorsement of Meatless Monday aligns with its annual support for COK’s healthy-eating initiative US VegWeek, which this year featured Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin as well as County Executive Ike Leggett pledging to take our 7-Day VegPledge from April 22 to April 28.

“I am delighted to support the efforts of Compassion Over Killing and applaud their advocacy,” said Councilmember Ervin. “We have to model the behavior that we want to promote, especially when we are dealing with issues related to healthy lifestyles, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship. Meatless Monday is a terrific way to highlight not only the health benefits of a plant-based diet but the fact that such a diet has been shown to use fewer resources and cause less pollution.”

School districts nationwide are embracing Meatless Mondays in their cafeterias, as well. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest public school system, started dishing out exclusively meat-free meals on Mondays for all students, and San Diego elementary schools just announced that this fall, they’ll be kicking off each week with exclusively meat-free meals for K-8 students. Will Montgomery County Public Schools be next? We hope so.

According to State Senator Jamie Raskin (Silver Spring and Takoma Park) “Meatless Monday gets your week going with energy and purpose.  Hats off to Compassion over Killing and the Montgomery County Council for a bold and visionary statement.”

Whether we’re concerned about protecting our health, the planet, or animals, a growing number of people are reaching for meat-free meals. In fact, more than 18% of Americans are currently participating in Meatless Monday. This movement is sweeping the country, and as it continues to expand, it’s uniting communities around the many benefits and flavors of meat-free meals. And it’s by no means limited to Mondays — every time we choose a plant-based meal, we’re choosing to help protect our health, the health of our planet, and animals.

Want to see your community adopt Meatless Mondays? Find out how you can help encourage your city or county council to join the movement!