Free Program Helps People Go Vegan by Matching Them with Mentors

Know someone who needs a leg up to make veganism happen? Most of us do: that well-intentioned co-worker who can’t keep away from Five Guys; that curious aunt who’s always asking about your diet; that college roommate who lives on ramen. And helping people go vegan is what Vegan Outreach’s Vegan Mentor Program is for.

Basically, a prospective vegan can sign up and almost immediately be matched with a mentor via email. This person will help with anything and everything — from grocery store shopping to how to answer common questions.

The program is 100% free, and as far as mentees, it’s open to anyone looking to live a more veg-friendly lifestyle. To become a mentor, there are a couple of criteria.

“Being vegan is one of the implied criteria,” Jack Norris, executive director of Vegan Outreach, tells Latest Vegan News. “Beyond that, it’s mostly a matter of hooking people up with others who are compatible. We tend to weed out people who push a restricted version of a vegan diet–we don’t want mentors telling our mentees they should avoid all processed or cooked foods. We also emphasize that the mentorship is not for giving or receiving medical advice.”

While the program originally launched in 2014, it’s undergone some improvements and revisions since then. Now, any mentee who signs up will be matched to a mentor within 24 hours.

As far as the program’s size: “The sky’s the limit! We currently have 700 mentees and 300 active mentors. We’d love to have thousands rather than hundreds,” says Norris.

Click here to visit the Vegan Outreach site and sign up as a mentor or a mentee.

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