Supporters of the Climate March:
Thank you so much for your support of our endeavor and generous hospitality as we make our way across the country. Donating and bringing us food and helping us with local events is one of the greatest gifts our supporters can give. It connects us with communities and reduces our operational costs.
Although we try not to be picky when it comes to gifts, we would like to offer a few guidelines on what is best for us. We have faced situations where people provide us dinners that have minimal or no options for our vegetarian and vegan Marchers, or where we are served with disposable products. We are grateful for all help we receive, but it weighs on our conscience when our events are unsustainable and damaging to our Earth.
Sometimes supporters are simply unaware of our needs and the philosophies behind them, so we hope that distributing this information beforehand will help avoid awkward situations. Here is a list of Marcher “Likes” and “Dislikes.” We do not expect everything under “Likes” to be met, but we prefer items under “Dislikes” be avoided entirely, if possible.
Likes
Food options for all members of our camp, including omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans
— Vegetarians do not eat meat
— Vegans do not eat meat or any animal products (dairy, eggs, honey, etc. or products including these ingredients, like baked goods or mayonnaise).
— Ingredients listed on a card beside potluck dishes.
Lots of guests and friends to join us at dinner
Home baked/cooked goods
Locally sourced food, perhaps from Farmers’ Markets.
Organic food
Peanut butters and other nut butters
Protein (not just meat!)
Reusable bags
Cloth napkins/dish rags
Dislikes
Bottled water/beverages
Plastic eating utensils, cups, and straws
Paper/Styrofoam plates
Napkins and paper towels
Processed foods with ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, palm oil, and names you can’t pronounce
Excessive packaging with foods (plastic wrap, individual wrapping, etc.)
Plastic bags
The Climate March has its own sets of plates, bowls, silverware, and cups capable of serving many people. Although doing dishes is a chore, it’s something that the Marchers willingly do to boycott disposable, single-use items that build up in landfills and pollute our environment. It is not a burden to us to wash the dishes, and we feel guilty when we accept and use plastic ware.
If you need to know more about how to meet these needs and why they are significant to us and our environmental and health concerns, the Marcher community is enthusiastic about having discussions to foster education and understanding. Feel free to contact Climate March staff or Marchers ahead of time about these topics and we will provide you all the information you need.
Meal & Kitchen Coordinator: Marie Davis (greenbus@sover.net)
Program Director: Jimmy Betts (jimmy@climatemarch.org)
Marcher contact: Jeffrey Czerwiec (jeffrey.l.czerwiec@gmail.com) *Jeffrey will help you get in touch with a Marcher or Marchers who are most knowledgeable and can best address your questions and concerns.
Again, thank you for all of your support and we look forward to meeting you.