Awhile back I had asked Sean Casey, an amazing animal rescuer, if, at his next adoption event, I could do a vegan table. Without hesitation, he said "yes." I was overjoyed! An event for animals seemed like the perfect place to introduce people to the concept of expanding their compassion to ALL species by adopting a plant-based diet.
While we had a couple of setbacks, like my recently broken hip and torn muscle, and the fact that, as soon as we arrived to set up, my mailman called me after finding four approx. two-week old kittens in a box with garbage and cigarette butts left in the scorching sun, the event went surprisingly well!
My son Julian, his girlfriend Pam, and several vegan friends including Cynthia King of the Cynthia King Dance Studio in Windsor Terrace, and only maker of exclusively Vegan Ballet Slippers in the world! (they are ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!), Lucy Sarni (a wonderful vegan I met while taking a Red Cross animal CPR course), and Dia (a peaceful, loving, compassionate vegan) came to help me, so that I did not have to stay on my feet too long. While Julian and Pam picked up the kittens and bottle-fed them, I was able to secure a place for them with an expert bottle-feeder, who amazingly agreed to foster them!
We had two large tables, one for literature and one for delicious vegan food from the V-Spot Cafe, my favorite vegan restaurant in Brooklyn, and the one who catered my last event!
The literature table had tons of great pamphlets from various organizations, including Farm Sanctuary's Life Behind Bars, Veg for Life Guide to Veg Living, and other pamphlets, Friends of Animals' Vegan Guides, PCRM's Veg starter Kits, Pamela Rice's "101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian," and PETA's Vegetarian Starter Kits, and lots more, including:
How to Win an Argument with a Meat Eater Handouts from Earthsave
Excerpts from the China Study
Summary of UN report "Livestock's Long Shadow"
We had four huge trays of food from the V-Spot, with dishes to appeal to even the hardest-core carnivore: Mock Chicken Nuggets, Buffalo "Wings," Empanadas, and an amazing Quinoa, Kale, Peppers, and Chick Pea Dish!
Many people confided in us that they were ecstatic to see a vegan table at this event.
Here are some photos of our event (please click on thumbnails for larger pictures):
