Get Active
Level 2: Got an Hour or Two?
Write a Letter to the Editor
Write letters about issues affecting animals on factory farms to newspaper and magazine editors. If you see an article about health and nutrition, write a letter about the health benefits of vegetarianism. Respond to articles about federal budget cuts with letters about the tax dollars that are wasted on meat and dairy subsidies. Or, write a letter that outlines the ways in which KFC tortures chickens and encourage conscientious consumers to boycott that business.
Whatever your topic, make sure that you follow the publication’s guidelines and include your name, your address, and your telephone number, or your letter may not be printed. If your letter is published, it could be read by thousands of people! Send a copy of your printed letter to us at VegInfo@peta.org, and we’ll send you the book or T-shirt of your choice from our catalog.
Read PETA’s Guide to Letter-Writing.
Turn Your Library Into ‘Vegetarian Central’!
With PETA’s exciting new vegetarian posters, you can create a beautiful, compelling display in your local library. Reach hundreds of people with a message of compassion.
 Spend an Hour Handing Out Leaflets
Personal interaction can have a big impact! Grab a stack of PETA’s leaflets and choose an area with lots of foot traffic. (Be sure to stay on public property—you have a First Amendment right to distribute information there.) Approach passers-by with a smile and a leaflet. Ask them, “Would you like free information about vegetarianism?” Be friendly, and be prepared to answer some commonly asked questions by reading our suggested responses. Don’t waste time on those who just want to argue with you, but continue to be polite because rudeness will only alienate people who overhear it. Briefly clarify your position, express regret at the disagreement, and then turn to the next person.
We’ve had great success with our “vegetarian celebrity” leaflet! Order some today!
Are you low on cash but need more leaflets? Use our online form to send us your name, your mailing address, and a list of the materials you need and how you’ll use them, and we’ll send you the materials for free.
Set Up an Information Table
Setting up an information table in a busy area of your town is a great way to reach a lot of people. Ask permission to set up tables at places like the local shopping mall, concerts, street and craft fairs, and area schools. Stock your table with leaflets and factsheets (available from PETA), and get ready to educate! If there’s no space to set up a table, then simply distribute your favorite literature to people who walk by. Our favorite is the “vegetarian celebrity” leaflet. View our wide selection of pro-vegetarianism leaflets. Read tips for successful tabling.
Are you low on cash but need more leaflets? Use our online form to send us your name, your mailing address, and a list of the materials you need and how you'll use them, and we'll send you the materials for free.
Show Videos in Public Places
Handing out leaflets on a street corner and setting up a table full of literature are terrific ways to educate people about factory farming and vegetarian eating. If you really want to turn heads, try showing a powerful video—it can have an enormous impact. We have listed several ways to show videos in public. Great locations to show videos include the areas outside subway stations and malls, near the lines outside concerts and sports events, and in front of grocery stores; indoor festivals; street corners; dog walks and fairs; and any other spots where there's a lot of pedestrian traffic.
The First Amendment gives you the right to speak out about any issue, distribute literature, and show videos in public. In almost all cities, you can set up a TV or literature table on a public sidewalk without a permit, as long as you are not completely blocking pedestrians from walking on the sidewalk. However, it's a good idea to call your city hall beforehand to make sure that a permit is not needed. It's also a good idea to write down the name and title of the person you speak with at city hall; keep that information with you when you're tabling or showing videos in case any questions come up. When you're planning to table or show videos at indoor festivals or events on private property, request permission from the event organizers before setting up a TV or table.
For a free copy of "Meet Your Meat" on CD-ROM, please e-mail Chalissa1@aol.com. For a DVD or VHS copy, e-mail VegInfo@peta.org. (You can set your CD-ROM or DVD player on "repeat." If you will be using a VCR, we can send you a 90-minute "loop" VHS copy.) Or just download "Meet Your Meat" directly on your computer. If you're protesting against KFC, we can send you a copy of Pam Anderson's exposé that you can show outside the restaurant!
Laptop or Mini DVD Player
Put your laptop or portable mini DVD player on your literature table. Set the DVD or CD-ROM on "repeat" so that it will play over and over again (or you can just keep pushing "play"). If you don't have a table and your laptop/DVD player is small enough, you can just have an activist hold it outward for people to watch.
TV With a VCR or DVD Player
You can set up a TV and a VCR or DVD player on your literature table. If you are inside and there's an electrical outlet nearby, you're all set. Otherwise, by using a car or boat battery and a converter/generator (available at any hardware store), you can create an effective video unit that can be set up anywhere you want.
Build Your Own 'Faunette'
If you need something that's a bit more stable, protected, and durable, try building your own "Faunette." A Faunette is a TV/VCR unit that is powered by a deep-cycle battery and is enclosed in a mobile case. It takes a bit of time and skill to create one, but its anti-glare screen makes it very useful for outdoor tabling events. Read Compassion Over Killing's guide for more information and step-by-step directions.
Spread the Message to People of Faith
One of the easiest ways to promote vegetarianism is to “adopt” a house of worship and then make sure that the building’s literature area is stocked with faith-based pro-vegetarianism literature. We have excellent pamphlets that focus on the reasons why Christians and Jews should adopt a vegetarian diet, including “Judaism and Vegetarianism,” “Christianity and Vegetarianism” for Catholics, and “Honoring God’s Creation” for both Catholics and Protestants. These pamphlets were written by members of these faiths and can be a powerful influence. It just takes a few moments of your time to drop them off. Order literature today!
Other ways to spread the message of compassion to people of faith:
Set Up an Information Table
If you attend a place of worship, consider setting up an information table there after services—it will give you an opportunity to distribute literature and to speak with members of your congregation about animal rights and vegetarianism.
Host a Vegan Potluck Meal
What better way to promote veganism than by showing your fellow congregation members just how tasty cruelty-free dining can be? Everyone will be buzzing about your faux fried chicken, Shepherd’s Pie, and chocolate mousse! The best part? All these recipes and more can be found in our free vegetarian starter kit, so when people beg for your cooking secrets, you can give them the full low-down on vegetarianism. Need more recipes? Visit VegCooking.com.
Distribute Leaflets
Houses of worship are excellent places to stand and distribute hundreds of leaflets in about 10 minutes. Remember to dress appropriately and start your distribution either before the service begins or after it has ended.
 Plan a Demonstration
Read PETA’s guide to holding an effective demonstration.
Organize a protest against KFC’s abuse of chickens.
Organize a ‘Feed-In’!
Passing out tasty vegan food is a fantastic way to show that being vegan is delicious as well as compassionate because, as we all know, the fastest way to people's hearts is through their stomachs! Get your hands on some veggie burgers and literature, grab a few friends, make some “Free Food!” signs, and head out to a high-traffic piece of sidewalk. Check out Compassion Over Killing's “Guide to Organizing Feed-Ins” and contact PETA for literature.
Host a Vegan Dinner Party
What better way to promote veganism than by showing your friends just how tasty cruelty-free dining can be? Invite them over for a meal, and they’ll be buzzing about your faux fried chicken, Shepherd's Pie, and chocolate mousse! The best part? All these recipes and more can be found in our free vegetarian starter kit, so when people are begging for your cooking secrets, you can give them the full low-down on vegetarianism. Need more recipes? Visit VegCooking.com.
Get Active on Campus (Even If You’re Not a Student!)
Students tend to be considerably more open to vegetarianism than is the general population, so it’s essential to spread the message of compassion to as many students as possible. Vegan Outreach’s “Adopt a College” program provides tips on distributing vegetarian literature to students at schools across the U.S. and Canada. Passing out literature doesn’t take much time or planning, and it’s a great way to convince people to choose vegetarianism!
If you’d like to “adopt” a campus where you will distribute literature, please send us an e-mail message with your name, your postal address, and the name of the school at which you plan to hand out leaflets.
If you’re a college student, be sure to check out peta2 College for great ideas about helping animals and for tons of opportunities to win cool prizes.
 Stop Kentucky Fried Cruelty!
Restaurant chain KFC scalds chickens while they are still alive and burns off the highly sensitive beaks of baby birds. PETA has pressured the company to adopt important animal welfare reforms, but KFC has done nothing to stop its worst abuses. Visit KentuckyFriedCruelty.com to read more about the campaign and to learn how you can help.
Turn a Building Into a Movie Screen
This project will make a major impression on anyone who is walking by. Purchase a copy of “Meet Your Meat,” and borrow or rent a video projector. Find a building that has a large, flat outer wall and that is located in an area that has a lot of pedestrians. In the evening, set up the projector and show everyone the truth about what happens to the animals who suffer on factory farms and in slaughterhouses. Be sure that you are on public property and that projecting videos on walls is legal in your area. College campuses are perfect locations—project the video against the side of either the library or the cafeteria. Be sure to have vegetarian starter kits on hand for distribution.
|
Vegetarian Starter Kit
Request Literature
Printer-Friendly
l
E-Mail This Site
l
Subscribe to E-News
