Education, Support & Community for New & Aspiring Vegans
The Vegan Living Program is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) organization that provides month-long series of educational and social events for new and aspiring vegans. Our free mentorship programs are designed to assist and support participants as they transition to lifelong vegan living, and to build community to provide sustained support.
We promote compassionate, healthy and environmentally responsible vegan lifestyles, helping people make life-affirming choices and become more responsible planetary citizens.
Vegan Living Programs have been held with overwhelming success since 2011 and in 5 cities, helping more than 1300 people to live vegan.
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Until All Are Free,
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Robin Helfritch Maratos, Erin Marcus, Demosthenes Maratos, Shelly Bornemann, and Andy Rubin,
WHAT'S COMING
Join Us in 2025 and Support New Vegans!
Wishing all of our supporters a joyous and peaceful holiday season on behalf of the Vegan Living Program. We have ONLINE and IN-PERSON events coming up in 2025 to support new vegans and build the VLP community. We hope you'll join us in Syracuse, Long Island, or over Zoom!
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Saturday January 18th
Vegan Trivia Night with Compassion & Cucumbers
(SYRACUSE)
Join Christine and Sam of the Compassion & Cucumbers Podcast and the Syracuse Vegan Living Program for Vegan Trivia Night! Order some warm, cozy drinks, enjoy the delectable desserts and yummy entrees at Aurora's Cafe, win fun prizes, and connect with the local vegan community! No need to have a team to attend; we can match you up with other teams! Also, if you aren't already listening to Compassion & Cucumbers, check out their podcast--it is a wealth of resources, information and interesting discussions about all things vegan! Join us from 4:00-6:00pm at Aurora's Cafe & Gifts in the Northern Lights Shopping Center, 231 Northern Lights Plaza, Syracuse, NY 13212. Space is limited at Aurora's, so please RSVP to syracusevlp@gmail.com and let us know how many folks will be coming with you so we can get an accurate headcount. Find this event on Facebook here.
Saturday January 18th
Veganuary Party
(LONG ISLAND)
Join the Long Island Vegan Living Program for a Veganuary Party to kick off 2025! There will be delicious vegan refreshments in addition to the fabulous company of your fellow VLP participants. Vegan Pledges, Coaches, and volunteers, we hope to see you there! The party will be held in Huntington, NY, in northwestern Suffolk County, from 3:00 - 6:00pm. The address will be sent upon RSVP to info@veganlivingprogram.org. Space is limited, so please only RSVP 'yes' if you know you can attend. We look forward to seeing you!
Saturday January 25th
Vegan Chocolate Cooking Demo with Chef Andrea
(ONLINE VIA ZOOM)
Join the Vegan Living Program and the Sustainability Institute at Molloy University for a FREE virtual vegan cooking class with our special guest chef and speaker, Chef Andrea Young of Sweet Vegan Chocolates! Get cooking with Chef Andrea as she makes Blueberry Bliss Bites, mouthwatering, bite-sized vegan confections sure to sweeten your Valentine's Day (or your Anti-Valentine's Day, if you prefer!). This is a virtual event and will be held via Zoom. To attend, RSVP via the Eventbrite page. We will send the Zoom link and entry details to all registered attendees 3 days prior to the event. This event will not be recorded. Please note the start time is 3:00pm Eastern Time on Saturday January 25th.
In conjunction with this event, we will raffle off two 15-piece Heart's Desire Boxes from Sweet Vegan NYC, filled with Midnight Passion vegan chocolates! Support our FREE educational events for new and aspiring vegans by purchasing virtual raffle tickets here. Tickets are $5.00 each for single tickets and $20.00 for five. All Sweet Vegan chocolates are vegan, nut-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, and great tasting! Sweet Vegan eliminates everything that gets in the way of experiencing the true flavor of chocolate, combining it with only real fruit and fresh ingredients. Prizes will be shipped to the winners (USA residents only). Raffle tickets can be purchased at veganlivingprogram.org/raffle. With your kind support, we will continue to host online events like this one in addition to our signature in-person programs in Long Island and Syracuse, NY.
Syracuse VLP Educational Mini-Series starts in February!
(SYRACUSE)
The Syracuse Vegan Living Program is switching it up this year with an exciting monthly series of educational events to support and educate new and aspiring vegans! Except for the sanctuary trip, these events will take place at the Marcellus Library. There will not be a pledge/coach component to this series. The monthly events are free to attend and open to all--perfect for anyone who is vegan-curious and wants to learn more, but not yet ready to be a Vegan Pledge. So tell all of your not-yet-vegan friends! Please stay tuned for more details, and contact syracusevlp@gmail.com with any questions.
February: Introduction to Veganism followed by Vegan Cooking Demonstration
March: Vegan Nutrition
April: Veganism and the Environment with guest speaker Jacqueline Cappello
May: Fitness and Veganism with guest speakers Ben and Faith Rayland
June: Trip to Briarwood Farm Sanctuary to meet the animals
Go Vegan in 2025!
Stay Tuned to Register for Our Free Vegan Living Program!
Want to do something cool and fun in 2025? How about going vegan through the Vegan Living Program? Be a part of one of our supportive communities where you'll learn the how-to's of vegan living, including how to stick with it! Vegan Pledge participants attend all sessions, get teamed up with Vegan Coaches, and receive a goody bag of freebies and a binder full of useful info and recipes. Plus, it's FREE to participate! If you're an aspiring vegan in the Long Island, NY or Syracuse, NY areas, we hope you'll join us! Please sign up for our email list to be updated on the Vegan Living Programs.
"I recommend this excellent program to anyone who is interested in learning more about the vegan perspective. The presentations are informative and practical. Myths are dispelled here. Yes, it is possible to get enough protein on a vegan diet, and vegan food can be delicious! More importantly, people who care about the impact they have on their fellow beings, and on the environment, come together to explore the possibilities for change."
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~ Pamela Kenley-Meschino
Vegan Living Program participant, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
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