8tad3“Hi ARC Volunteers,
I just wanted to say a few words about tabling and doing outreach at the Farmers Markets and to encourage anyone who has even a remote interest to get involved in these awesome events. This is a great way to encourage and support an ethical lifestyle and to help educate those who are misinformed. ARC has great materials so it makes it easy to interact with people (even for us introverts).
I have been involved in the tabling at the Farmers Markets for several years and have found it to be fun and rewarding. When I first started, I only attended them sporadically and I’d wonder if we were really doing any good. Then one summer, I was at the same Farmers Market multiple times, so was able to see and interact with the same people through the summer and see what happened over the course of time. These are just a few of many examples that tell me we do make a difference:
- A woman came up to chat and tell me that she was vegetarian but she could never become vegan because she could never give up cheese. I talked a little about dairy and recommended several vegan brands she could try. A few weeks later she came back and told me how she had found some of that Miyoko’s cheese on sale and she really liked it.
- A gentleman came up and in a defensive/argumentative manner, asked me many questions about lots of aspects of veganism. He did ended up taking some of the literature. Later in the summer he came back and told me he had finally gone vegan and it was going ok so far and asked for some ideas on eating out in the Twin Cities.
We also regularly have people stopping by – especially new vegans – looking for support, recipes and other information. They are very appreciative of any help we can give and with what we have available so would definitely recommend trying this out if you are looking for a great way to become more involved!” – Dedicated and longtime ARC Volunteer, Shaun.
If you’re interested in volunteering with ARC, please email the Outreach Manager at Kelsey@animalrightscoalition.com.