Think of a person in your life who might agree to "Eat the Rainbow" of vegan food for Pride Month this June. Really think about it: A sibling? An old friend who knows how much this means to you? A coworker who's vegetarian but not yet vegan? Someone who's already told you that they know they should be vegan but hasn't done so yet?
Choose the one person you know who seems most likely to say yes, screw up your courage, and just ask.
It's easier than you think! At the recent New England VegFest, many vegans challenged someone on the spot, and most said yes! That's because people are more likely to do something when directly asked by someone they know and trust
30-day vegan challenges are a great way to ease people into veganism. Many people know the health, environmental, or ethical benefits of veganism but hesitate to make what feels like such a huge life change. Agreeing to try it for just a month feels more doable. And then... most people who try it stay with it!
But you're not asking them to go vegan forever, just to try it for a month. Can they do that? Would they do it for you? For the environment? To put their own love for animals into practice? For their own health?
Ask in a friendly and upbeat tone, stressing the fun of a challenge and offering to help.
The Pride Month Vegan Challenge also offers help. Participants get daily advice and inspiration -- including recipes, which turn out to be surprisingly important -- and can be matched with a mentor if they choose.
After you talk to them, tell us how it went, and we'll enter you in a raffle! Prizes include vegan chocolate, cheese, and soap as well as t-shirts, hats, and other swag! Your answers can help us learn more about promoting veganism effectively!
Here are some pro tips based on our experiences asking people and on survey responses from past participants:
-
The phrase used most often by people who sign up is "it's time," meaning that they've known this is something they should do and this is giving them an easy way to do it. Health is often a big part of the reason why they want to try.
-
A sizeable number of challenge participants each year are vegetarians who have been dragging their feet on going vegan. The biggest hold-up, as you probably already know, is dairy. So, be prepared to send them to Mothers Against Dairy and Got Colonization? If you know you'll be asking someone for whom dairy is the obstacle, visit those websites yourself to plan what to say.
-
Real-time conversations -- in person, on the phone, or via Zoom -- are much more likely to succeed than requests via text or email.
Thank you in advance, good luck, and don't forget to tell us how it goes!
P.S. If you're not yet vegan yourself, or just need a little help staying with your decision to be vegan, sign yourself up for a month of inspiration and support!
