OK. Now, on its face that sounds a bit silly. But hear me out. When done right, a good bake sale can bring in some dough, (ha ha! - pun enjoyed but not intended) and I'm talking dough that can be counted in hundreds or even thousands. And believe me when I tell you we're doing it right. You get some vegans together who are really into baking, and the delicacies that come forth are out of this world.And then there's the matter of quantity. There are bake sales happening all over the U.S. and in parts of Europe, and maybe elsewhere too. Several bake sales have already happened here in the states. I don't know about all of them, but those I do know about have taken in close to a collective $10k! Of course every penny is going straight to Haiti. Each bake sale team has chosen its own worthwhile organization to support - groups being donated to include Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, World Society for the Protection of Animals, and Food for Life Global.
I'll be participating in the bake sale here in NYC - it's going on all day long at Moo Shoes on Sunday, January 31st. (Hey fellow NYC VET members - hope to see you there!) Yeah, I'm making cupcakes. You know it. We're donating proceeds to Doctors Without Borders - those docs are doing amazing work, and amazing doctors are a big part of what's needed there right now. This bake sale is gonna be HUGE - and with an insane raffle too. Srsly ppl, do not miss this event.I'll also be stopping by this month's Vegan Drinks on Thursday the 28th, which will be featuring its own mini vegan bake sale for Haiti! (Like that event needed to get any awesomer.) They will be supporting Sodopreca, a group of veterinarians heading across the border from DR to help out.
[Geography Lesson] Hispaniola = the island on which are the countries of Dominican Republic and Haiti.[/Geography Lesson]Also this coming weekend are the big vegan bake sales in Chicago and Portland - I know those will be major. I'm excited to see that my home town ot New Orleans will be getting in on the Vegan Bake Sale action on February 6! Isa of the Post Punk Kitchen is doing an amazing job of keeping a comprehensive Vegan Bake Sales for Haiti list. Readers - If you're involved in any sales please leave a comment and give us all the details!
But guess what? Bake sales aren't it! There's also the amazing Josh Hooten and his partner Michelle of Herbivore Clothing Company: they teamed up with Ink Brigade to create this fab t-shirt. Naturally proceeds are going straight to the epicenter. Shirts have just begun to ship - I've already ordered mine... you're waiting for what, exactly?
So that's the news flash folks. Vegans are compassionate about animals - we're also compassionate about people! When you care, you care. And it's important to realize here that everyone can help. So you're not a doctor or nurse who can go volunteer; so you don't have "disposable" cash to donate. No matter. Pick up that wooden spoon and whip up those chocolate chip cookies! Can't bake? Then just go volunteer your time during the bake sale - it takes a good staff to run one successfully. No bake sales in your area? Organize one! Or get creative and see what else you can come up with. We can all do something, and at times of such desperate need we all should.So do it people - shop on Etsy, eat a cupcake, and buy a t-shirt for Haiti!
3 comments:
It's so great to see so many helping out with this! Definitely gives me hope for humanity. :)
"Vegans are compassionate about animals - we're also compassionate about people!" this is my favorite part. And for those of us who are vegetarians or vegans partly for human rights reasons, this is especially important to remember. People assume we are animals above people,but we can love both!
Fairtradefamily - exactly! Our recognition of the suffering of animals does not make us blind to the suffering of mankind - frequently quite the opposite.
Many people don't realize that, so often, animal rights issues and human rights issues go hand in hand. The factory farms and slaughterhouses where animals are so badly abused is also where many egregious human rights violations occur. It is commonplace for workers involved with food animal production to be treated terribly. It is a system that thrives by abusing everything in its path - animals human and non, the land, the water, and any other natural resources it may need - caring only for the highest net profit.
But that's probably a topic to be explored more thoroughly on another day. :)
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