Last Tuesday, we celebrated our two-year anniversary.
At Project Animal Freedom, we celebrated our two-year anniversary with a meet-and-greet event at MoKaBe’s along South Grand. 11 people joined us for this celebration. We reflected on our successes over the past two years, and we dreamed of all we can go on to accomplish not only over the coming two years, but over the coming decades as we strive to build a fully vegan world by 2056.
On this occasion, it is useful to recall the early history of Project Animal Freedom. Project Animal Freedom, similarly to many of its events, began as a protest movement, a detachment from another organization that stifled progress, micromanaged board members, and more generally failed to execute its core mission of reducing suffering, saving lives, and transforming society. After nearly a year of struggle at his former nonprofit, our Executive Director made the strategic decision to found an organization that he hoped would succeed precisely where the former failed. Below, you will find the story of our organization’s founding, as well as an appeal for supporting our organization’s continue growth, told from the perspective of our founder:
Just two years ago, Project Animal Freedom was merely an idea after a failed attempt to fall back asleep. But the idea of PAF kept gnawing away at me; I ripped off the covers, admitting defeat to the forces of insomnia which now powered me. Enlivened by this idea, I got to work, creating no fewer than 33 events to serve as the roadmap for our next 15-month’s worth of activities.
Ever since that deeply empowering night, we have gone on to make a meaningful difference for animals in more ways than I can count, becoming not only the single most active animal rights group in all St. Louis, but also positioning ourselves to effect an animal rights revolution across the entire Midwest in just three years. Relying on social media to convey our message of compassion for all, here are just a few statistics that reflect the social media firestorm we have generated over the two years alone:
*117,000+ Facebook post views
*38,000+ organic video views
*9,000+ post engagements
Since our last fundraiser at the end of 2019, we have also accomplished the following:
*Co-sponsored the Uhuru Solidarity Movement's St. Louis March for Reparations to African People, attracting eight Project Animal Freedom members and roughly 40 people total
*Screened Dominion, a groundbreaking animal rights documentary about animals used for food, clothing, and entertainment, attracting 30 community members
*Mobilized 21 activists at our second annual March to Close All Slaughterhouses, an international event that aims to abolish all slaughterhouses, as part of our newly forged #SlaughterFreeSeptember campaign
*Mobilized five activists at our March for Mercy on January 1st, demanding that every last animal be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion
*United nine activists for a meal, featuring savory food, enthralling conversation, and good old-fashioned vegan fun, at Gokul Indian Restaurant following our March for Mercy
*United nine activists at the official opening of our St. Louis Animal Rights Center, a joint venture between no fewer than three local nonprofits that advocate for nonhuman and human animal rights
*Hosted our third-ever meetup as the LGBTQIA+ Vegans of St. Louis, attracting six LGBTQIA+ vegans as part of our #CompassionateCommunities campaign
*Hosted our third vegan singles meetup, featuring mingling, vegan speed-friending, and the delightful vegan menu at Taste of Lebanon, a local restaurant with an expansive menu of Lebanese delights
*Screened “Speciesism: The Movie,” attracting 10 community members for a relaxing evening as we jump-started our Monday monthly member meetings
*Distributed 300 visually stunning, high-impact leaflets about the connection between animal agriculture and environmental devastation at SLU, one of the largest universities in all Missouri with over 14,000 students
*Mobilized five activists to protest Circus Fantastic, a show that exploits elephants, tigers, and ponies, to raise awareness about the hardships nonhuman animals endure at the hands of the circus entertainment industry
2019 ACHIEVEMENTS:
*Co-hosted a vegan picnic in the park with the St. Louis Vegetarian Society, attracting 25 community members, the largest attendance in several years
*Attended the Rally for Trans Workers to strengthen protections for LGBTQIA+ and especially trans workers who a large portion of our society continues to discriminate against at alarming rates
*Held our first official Events Committee meeting, inspiring three new leaders to step up and begin serving our community by organizing dozens of high-impact events over the next few months alone
*Co-hosted our first annual “Vegan BBQ Bash,” attracting just over 40 people, to help raise funds for a vegan health and wellness center along S. Jefferson that caters to domestic abuse victims, cancer survivors, and those still battling cancer
*Organized a vegan meetup at Utah Station, the hottest new vegan-friendly restaurant in all St. Louis, attracting just over 30 community members
*Organized our first-ever vegan rummage sale, recruiting hundreds of dollars worth of donations from nearly a dozen community members
*Hosted our second-ever vegan marathon party as part of our summer fundraising campaign, generating over $1,400, our most successful fundraising campaign yet
*Attended St. Louis’ first annual climate strike to raise awareness not only about our ongoing climate crisis, but also urge environmentalists and environmental organizations to finally address the environmental devastation caused by animal agriculture headon
*Co-hosted our first vegan picnic in the park with the St. Louis Vegetarian Society, attracting just over a dozen community members
*Attended the world premiere screening of The Game Changers, a revolutionary new documentary about meat, protein, and strength, that we promoted at all six theaters in and around St. Louis that screened this groundbreaking film
*Hosted our first-ever vegan marathon party as part of our summer fundraising campaign, attracting nearly a dozen community members
*Distributed just over 1,800 leaflets as part of our 9/11 memorial at SLU with a goal of distributing at least one leaflet for each American who died during the 9/11 attacks, saving several thousand animals from a lifetime of suffering in the process
*Hosted our third-ever vegan house party at which we unveiled our revised committee structure, attracting nearly a dozen community members interested in joining our Events Committee, alongside a few other core committees
*Co-hosted our first-ever What The Health screening with Love N’ Light Wellness by Leah, attracting just over 20 community members for a fast-paced, fact-filled evening of education, empowerment, and entertainment
*Hosted our second-ever vegan house party at which we discussed who we are, what we do, and why we do it, attracting just under 10 community members
*Co-hosted a Cowspiracy screening with Love N’ Light Wellness by Leah during the height of the Amazon rainforest fires this August, attracting just over a dozen community members for an evening of food, education, and empowerment
*Hosted our first-ever vegan house party, attracting roughly half a dozen community members, kickstarting a lovely tradition we intend to carry on over the coming months, years, and decades
*Co-hosted our second vegan meetup at Utah Station, the latest vegan restaurant to hit St. Louis, that specializes in vegan comfort food, from vegan toasted raviolis to Chris Bertke’s epic take on the McDonald’s Big Mac
*Co-hosted our first vegan meetup at CC’s Icee’s Galore in Alton, IL as part of their grand opening celebration, attracting well over a dozen community members who otherwise might not have attended
*Hosted St. Louis’ first-ever “We Scream for Soy Cream!” vegan ice cream celebration on National Ice Cream Day to raise awareness about the dozens of delicious dairy-free alternatives to conventional dairy, attracting over 70 community members
*Organized St. Louis’ first annual March to Close Down All Slaughterhouses as part of an international effort to condemn the horrors, injustices, and atrocities over 50 billion animals endure worldwide in slaughterhouses each year
*Screened Albatross, a visually stunning documentary that explores the tragic effect of plastic pollution on the wild albatross population, as part of our zero-waste living campaign, attracting nearly 50 community members
*Organized a McDonald’s protest to raise awareness about the cruelty in McDonald’s chicken farms, where over 100 million chickens are crammed into dark sheds and trapped in filth, unable to engage in most natural behaviors
*Hosted a vegan mac and cheese and chili recipe share event that showcased nearly a dozen vegan mac and cheese and chili recipes, attracting just under 30 community members
*Hosted a pizza party for college students at Pizza Head to kick off our College Outreach Program with the aim of building thriving coalitions for animal rights at every major college in the US, reaching up to 100,000 students in the St. Louis region alone
*Organized a memorial service to honor the legacy of Tom Regan, a pioneering father of the modern animal rights movement, author of the 1983 classic “The Case For Animal Rights,” and intellectual firebrand who died of pneumonia at the age of 78 just three years ago
*Organized St. Louis’ first-ever vegan single’s night, nicknamed “Have a Heart,” that featured fresh fruit, a chocolate fondue fountain, and conversation cupcakes, attracting over 30 community members for their chance at vegan love
*Co-organized St. Louis’ first annual “Laws for Paws” march to protest the hundreds of abusive puppy mills across the state while calling attention to Missouri’s flimsy animal welfare laws that led to dozens of pets freezing to death during the January polar vortex
*Organized our first annual “Vegan Lebanese Dinner: A Night of Middle Eastern Delights,” that featured everything from fresh, steamy falafel and savory stuffed grape leaves to Lebanese ginger tea and belly dancing, attracting nearly 45 community members
WHAT DO WE NEED?
Right now, we have a significant need for general funding to continue hosting events, running campaigns, purchasing equipment, and covering other organizational expenses. Some of our most significant funding needs are described below, along with an estimated budget to fulfill our current need:
🐔 $200 to print PAF business cards, pamphlets, and posters to improve our brand strength, efficacy, and impact
👨🎓 $500 to recruit our first college outreach intern and build animal rights organizations at local universities
🤝 $1,000 to recruit our first field organizer and transform Springfield, Missouri, into a hub for animal rights
✊🏿 $3,000 to host our first annual Black Vegan Expo, benefiting local black-owned vegan and vegan-friendly businesses
🥳 $5,000 to host our first annual Gateway to Compassion Fest, with the goal of transforming it into the largest intersectional vegan festival in the world in just three years
Having assisted several animal rights organizations over the past few years, I can affirm the following: Project Animal Freedom is growing faster than any other group I have ever served, and our success has only just begun. We strive to not only become the leading voice for animal rights in St. Louis, but, from there, to spread our influence across the entire Midwest in just three years, beginning in cities like St. Louis, Springfield, and Des Moines, then spreading ever outward until we unite the entire Midwest into one unstoppable force for nonhuman and human animal liberation the world round.
None of our work would be possible without supporters like you. We are deeply grateful you seized onto our mission of saving lives, reducing suffering, and transforming the Midwest early on. But now we must ask you to redouble your commitment to building the just, equitable world we all deserve, no matter our species.
Cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and animals of innumerable other species are counting on you to free them from utter misery. Will you heed their cries? Their screams? Their howls? This summer, please consider becoming a benefactor of Project Animal Freedom and all the incredible work we already perform. Here is your opportunity to help us revolutionize the entire Midwest until every animal lives safe, happy, and free from the genuine tyranny of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and other animal-abusing facilities.
The animals are counting on you, and they can bear to suffer no longer. What are you waiting for?
WANT TO SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE? Contact Kyle at kyle.luzynski@gmail.com or 314-740-0436 today.
WANT TO STAY UPDATED ABOUT OUR LATEST EVENTS, CAMPAIGNS, AND MORE? Join our email list here: https://projectanimalfreedom.kindful.com/register/project-animal-freedom-mailing-list-sign-up
WANT TO SUPPORT OUR LIFE-SAVING WORK? Donate today: https://www.facebook.com/donate/757258808339739/
