Ethical consumers often are ardent volunteers, or constantly in search of volunteer opportunities. There are plenty of non-vegetarians who are inspired for other reasons to volunteer, but often those who are both volunteers and ethical consumers find the two self-reinforcing, so may find themselves more and more absorbed by both. However, what do you do when the two come into conflict? Volunteering at a soup kitchen can be difficult when you're ladling out chicken soup, or driving steak dinners to people who can't shop for themselves. I've made a goal of finding volunteer opportunities that help people without causing harm to animals or the environment. If you know of any to add to my list, please post a comment or send me a Facebook message.
- National
- Food Not Bombs is like Meals On Wheals, except they serve vegetarian food and have a non-violence policy (Breier 46).
- Massachusetts
- Boston Vegan Society. I live too far in the suburbs to be a volunteer, but I get info and recipes via email from them, plus they have an awesome free Android app, so I know they're worth volunteering time.
- Brigham Hill Community Farms grows crops to donate to food banks in the Worcester area. I've been an ongoing sporadic volunteer there since 2010, and the experience is rewarding for more than the knowledge that you're helping people: getting your fingers in the dirt, feeling that connection with nature, watching the crops you've planted grow, learning the right ways to plant, weed, and harvest, are all wonderful and educational experiences.
- iTNGreaterBoston this isn't vegan in the animals-rights or non-violence sense, but if you have a hybrid or electric car, this is a great way to help people while also applying the environmental principals so important to the vegan lifestyle. iTN utilizes volunteers to provide transportation to seniors and the visually impaired.
