Being Vegan has given me purpose. Every day my actions align with these Vegan values. Being Vegan is something that I am extremely proud of, and passionate about. At the same time it can, on occasion, be difficult and every Vegan (and everyone striving towards Veganism) can benefit from finding support, to make their journey easier and also less lonely.
You may be the only Vegan, or aspiring Vegan, that you know and you may not get any support or understanding from the people around you. This can make you question your choice to live this compassionate, yet often misunderstood, Vegan life-style.
Here are my tips to help you to find support as a Vegan, so you can embrace this life-style and support others to make the changes in their life-style, for a better world for all, humans and non-humans..
Find Support Online
Vegan support is at our fingertips. Consider joining a Vegan group on Facebook and join in with discussions with like-minded people. Learn from others and share your own experiences and tips. There are a number of Vegan support groups on Facebook, where you can ask any questions and advice around your own experiences.
Join a Vegan Group on Meetup
Last weekend I went to a Vegan LGBT picnic, via a group found on Meetup. It was so much fun and met some lovely people, in a relaxing environment. See if there's a Vegan group near you and go and have some fun, make new friends and feel part of a community in person. If you can not find a group near you, consider starting your own.
Go on an Animal Rights March or a Vegan Activism Group
Taking action and making a difference to the lives of animals can make us feel alive and connected. This weekend I am heading to the Animal Rights March in London and I am excited to be around thousands of other people so passionate about the same cause. If you have nobody to go with and feel a little intimidated to go alone (I would too) consider looking online on a facebook support group to see if there is anybody else in the same boat who would like some company.
Remember Why You Became Vegan
We live in a world where it's so normal to eat animals that sometimes we can wonder if maybe we are the ones in the wrong. Whether maybe we are too sensitive.. This is why we can benefit with support to remind that that in fact we are the ones awake, whilst everyone else has their eyes closed, that animal abuse is so normalised we feel that we are abnormal for no longer participating in it. Here are some documentaries to watch; https://www.livekindly.com/vegan-documentaries/
Volunteer for a Charity or Animal Sanctuary
I did a short spell on volunteering for charity Animal Equality, where I did some data entry work and some outreach work. This can be very satisfying and you're helping to support people to further their work for animal rights. You may also consider doing some volunteer work for an animal sanctuary. Here is an example of an animal sanctuary that regularly welcomes volunteers; https://friendfarmanimalsanctuary.org/volunteer
Above are just a few ideas of how we can connect with other people (and animals) and be part of the Vegan movement. We can meet like-minded people who share similar values and wish to make a difference to the world and its inhabitants. If things get tough, reach out to others. Make an effort to find out more, read books, blogs and watch Youtube videos. Chat in forums, enjoy Vegan restaurants, write your own blogs. Post a tweet or comment on Facebook. The opportunities to connect, support others and be supported are endless.
