Imagine a massive outdoor supermarket - one where everything is free. Where the groceries are all vegetarian, and the meals are all vegan. Where anyone can walk up, and with no questions asked, no paperwork required, get a brand-new wardrobe, or toys for their kids.
Picture a community that promotes compassion - for all people, animals, and the planet.
All that put together is Community Solidarity Food Share.
These "Food Shares" happen at 5 locations every week. And for Thanksgiving, well on Thanksgiving, they transform into something even more special.
Those Food Shares become the world's largest Vegan Thanksgiving. An event that happened this past Sunday (Nov. 18th) in Long Island, NY.
It was a day filled with hundreds of gourmet vegan meals, desserts and appetizers.
In total, 347 dedicated volunteers came together to make Vegan Thanksgiving happen. Together, they shared over 137,000 pounds of vegetarian groceries with over 5,100 people!
Each and every person who came received a week’s worth of vegetarian groceries! They received everything they needed to make their own vegan Thanksgiving feasts! They received some new clothing and a few hot plates of very tasty gourmet vegan meals.
In short, Vegan Thanksgiving is an example of the way our communities can be.
Let me explain….
Scroll through live video from the event
Compassion for the earth
The groceries we shared, all 137,000 pounds, it all was rescued from the trash. Surplus food from supermarkets and farms gets tossed out everyday. Instead of letting this happen, letting good food go to waste, our volunteers rescue it. And then they share it with the community. Pretty simple right?
If that food had rotted in a landfill, well, it would have fed no one. It also would have created roughly 123,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses! Gasses that would further pollute our atmosphere and warm the planet.
There's also lots of bacterial overgrowth created by rotting food. Over time, rotting food creates plums of bacteria that leach out into our waterways. This adds to the ever-increasing acidification of our oceans.
But that didn’t happen. That food didn't rot because a compassionate community came together to rescue it.
Compassion for animals
All the meals prepared by Community Solidarity are vegan. All the groceries we share are vegetarian. We share and promote a compassionate diet with people in need. In doing so we help reduce their reliance on factory farming and animal agriculture.
During Vegan Thanksgiving volunteers shared over 137,00 pounds of plant-based foods. Foods with enough protein for over 53k people! Enough iron for 40k people! and enough calcium for 68k people!
So you know, we actually track the nutritional content of every pound of food we share.
In total, what we shared at Vegan Thanksgiving had more protein than 10,342 turkeys.
That's all from plant-based sources of nutrition.
In essence, we sparred over 10,000 animals from needless slaughter this Thanksgiving. Volunteers like you helped spread a more compassionate diet to thousands!
That happened because a compassionate community came together.
Compassion for people
On Long Island, over 182,000 people go hungry every night. 72,000 of those are children too! Across the country 1 in 6 will struggle with hunger. More often than not, people in these situations feel alienated and alone in their struggle.
But when people came to Vegan Thanksgiving they didn’t feel alone or judged. The whole day was set up as a massive free festival filled with entertainment, great food, and friends.
At a normal Food Share, the average family of four in need receives over $150 of assistance, at Vegan Thanksgiving they received over $260 of food and clothing!!!
Think of all the money saved! Think of the support that provides. From saving money to pay for school, or rent, or a medical bill. The compassionate foods we shared filled peoples bellies and their wallets!
And again, that happened because a compassionate community came together.
The world you dream of
Do you see where I’m going with this?
If you’ve read this far, you likely dream of a more compassionate world. A world filled with less suffering. A world where we have compassion for people, animals, and the earth.
What I’m telling you is that this world is possible. It’s possible, but it requires a lot of work. It’s possible, but no nonprofit, or leader or movement will make it happen for you.
We all have to make it happen - in our own ways. You can make it happen, and Community Solidarity is here to help guide you in your goals - in anyway we can.
You see...
Community Solidarity helps you end hunger.
Community Solidarity helps you fight injustice.
Community Solidarity helps you spread compassion.
There’s a long way to go in creating a more compassionate and caring world. But the path is right in front of you, please, please, don’t wait for someone else to lead the way.
You’ve got this and we got your back.
Take the first step
Become a SupporterLet's end hunger, help animals and the earth, and create community together!
Take the first step and make a donation today, or become a monthly supporter.
Every $32 raised will help rescue a years worth of vegetarian groceries for 1 person! It will spare over 128 animals!!! It will reduce half a ton of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
It will help build more compassionate communities.
So let's do this, together.
With love & solidarity,
Jon Stepanian & Community Solidarity.