Changing the lens through which we view veganism is an important part of my work. There is a distorted narrative about who is vegan and what it means to be vegan. This, coupled with veganism’s accessibility issues makes the idea of going vegan seem unappetizing and unattainable to most. In my case, going vegan has transformed my life and aided in a new perception of how I look at food as well as me becoming the healthiest I have been in my life. And after being vegan for four years, I believe that I am very good at it. I have learned one does not have to sacrifice the flavor or excitement found in food when going vegan. Vegans never have to miss out. My YouTube channel, “Katie Makes It Vegan” is centered on taking the foods that I used to love and making them vegan. The tagline for my channel is that “I can make anything vegan” and so far, I have been quite successful in this cause. While I certainly enjoy the work I am doing in building an online community of supporters, I long to connect to my local community and share the same realization that my supporters have: veganism is accessible and delicious. I want to introduce veganism to my community in a sincerely tangible way. Sure, they can watch my videos, but what if they were in person with me? Experiencing the diversity and variety of vegan food with a more accessible point of departure.
I will use the space to host a vegan workshop and cooking class. Attendees will come to first, learn all about what the vegan diet is and its benefits. Following the lecture, they will engage in a hands-on cooking class in which they will not only be able to see how simple it is to recreate some of their favorite dishes, but also how approachable vegan cuisine is in general. They will leave the seminar with handouts on the topics discussed, vegan shopping lists, recipes, and other resources.
Peerspace is on a mission to bring people together. We believe it is impossible to achieve that goal unless we also fight for equality and access to resources in the communities we serve.
Having a space to gather, create, and exchange ideas is an important part of any movement. In order to magnify voices that are often quieted, Peerspace will sponsor venues for people who challenge prejudice and fight for social justice and equality.
Each quarter, we will sponsor space for three projects that are relevant to our community. These projects can range from fundraisers and educational initiatives to art exhibits and photo series.
