How to do a vegan ice cream giveaway
HOW TO DO A VEGAN ICE CREAM GIVEAWAY!
Help others go vegan by giving away treats - we'll show you how!
For many of us, going vegan was about not wanting to contribute to the suffering of non-human animals. And when it comes to vegan ice cream, there are so many delicious flavors, brands, and varieties made with all sorts of plant-based milks, and the taste is amazing!
Trouble is, many people haven’t tried them yet, perhaps because it can be expensive, and if they don’t like it they will have wasted the money, or because they have preconceived notions about what vegan food is without having tried it.
We have created this guide to help you or your organization share with others how delicious vegan ice cream can be!
As an organization that promotes veganism for the animals, we are also concerned about those who are enslaved or forced to labor for cocoa, so we encourage you to reference these lists before you buy vegan ice cream with chocolate: https://foodispower.org/chocolate-list/ OR https://foodispower.org/find-vegan-foods/
Location:
It is important to find a busy location. We have experience doing this at universities, city halls, state capitols, and even in front of places like Ben & Jerry’s and Baskin-Robbins. You will want to pick a day and time when there is a lot of foot traffic, so be sure you scope out the location on various days to figure that out. Be aware that in some locations you will be required to get a permit.
Needs:
- Cooler(s)
- Ice packs or frozen cold packs – we have tried to use ice before, but when it melts, it can cause the boxes to get soggy and start to melt the ice cream treats more easily
- Vegan ice cream or other vegan frozen desserts (cones, sandwiches, popsicles)
- Ice cream scoop (optional)
- Napkins (optional – biodegradable are best)
- Signs (optional) • Gloves • Anti-dairy leaflet – if you are interested in our free anti-dairy booklet, you can order some here: https://gotcolonization.org/order-booklet/
- Sign-up sheet in case people want to get involved with your organization.
Making a Plan:
The easiest ice cream giveaways are with vegan ice cream sandwiches or vegan frozen desserts.
Just simply fill up a cooler with lots of frozen cold packs and layer with boxes of the vegan ice cream treats.
Depending on the weather, you might want to have a very solid cooler as coolers made from fabric can sometimes lose the ability to keep things cold when it’s hot outside.
We always make sure to have a leaflet or information to share with people.
It is always important to be nice and friendly even if you don’t feel like it and even more so if the person is rude. If they aren’t friendly, it is best to welcome them on their way and not focus on them. It is really important that if you don’t feel like you can be super friendly, perhaps it is best for you to help out in other ways. Not everyone is cut out to deal with pushback from random people, and that is okay. It’s always good to know your limitations.
If you want to have people holding signs encouraging them to come and try vegan ice cream, that is a great task for someone who doesn’t want to have to deal with the public directly.
If you want to give away ice cream and ice cream cones, just a few other things to keep in mind:
- Make sure the cones are vegan and don’t have palm oil: https://foodispower.org/parting-with-palm/
- You will want to wear gloves.
- You will need containers (some with water) to keep the ice cream scoop and spoons clean.
- Have plenty of napkins (biodegradable is best!).
- Have a container for trash and be sure to pick up after yourself!
- Be familiar with the type of vegan ice cream you are using. Some can be hard to scoop, so you might want to consider testing various brands and flavors – even with some non-vegan friends or family to see which ones they think taste best! Be ready to share with people where they can buy that flavor and/or brand!
Keep in mind that to make all of this happen, you don’t need many people! In fact, too many helpers might deter people from approaching you.
This is by no means comprehensive, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we will try to help.
We would love to see photos from your events, so please do pass them along!
We do not want to speak for the animals, but there’s no doubt the cows and goats are grateful for your advocacy.
