Pass Out Leaflets

It takes a bit more effort, but spending time passing out leaflets is both fun and an amazing way to advocate for animals. Just think about it: The average person in the U.S. eats dozens of chickens, pigs, turkeys, fish, and other animals in a year. Even if only one person becomes a vegetarian after an evening of your leafleting, that is an enormous victory for animals—hundreds of animals saved from horrific suffering in just an hour or two! I can tell you from our surveys that every time you go out to leaflet, you affect more than just one person. Also, many of those who don’t immediately become vegan or vegetarian will likely be more receptive to the idea the next time around.

Many activists make sure to always have a stack of PETA’s vegetarian starter kits in their backpack or purse wherever they go. They leave them in doctors’ offices, on trains and airplanes, coffee shops, and everyplace else they go. And, of course, they have them ready for when someone sees their bumper sticker or button and asks them why they’re vegan.

For an even bigger impact, take a break from watching TV on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon, and pass out a stack of leaflets for an hour. (I’d recommend our new vegetarian celebrity leaflet.) Find a place with lots of foot traffic, and you’ll reach hundreds of people in a short amount of time. I live in Washington, D.C., so it’s particularly easy because there are constantly people flowing in and out of the Metro. Just a few of us can give away 300 or 400 leaflets in an hour. When we go to the bottom of the escalator, we see maybe a dozen thrown away—but the rest are being read, and many will be passed on or left on trains for others to read. Some people will stop to talk with you, so try to have a friend along so that one of you can keep leafleting while the other one talks.

Of course, you don’t need to live in a big city to find great leafleting opportunities. Next time there’s a county fair, a minor league baseball game, a concert, or a Fourth of July town picnic in your area, grab a stack of leaflets and stand by the entrance for an hour—you’ll make a huge difference. Going outside to leaflet during your lunch hour, after work, or on a weekend is a great way to get fresh air and is a more enjoyable break than staring at a computer screen.