Program Overview: In Needham, Mass., three non-profit organizations joined forces to start their own local Meatless Monday. Together, the League of Women Voters of Needham, Green Needham Collaborative, and Needham Community Farm launched a public awareness campaign to inspire people to decrease their meat consumption and eat more plant-based foods.
Objective: Encourage Needham residents to pledge to eat healthy, plant-based meals on Mondays for 12 weeks.
Process: Increase awareness of the importance of plant-based foods through public education, grassroots campaigning, and promoting local businesses, and provide Needham residents with plant-based recipes, resources, and information related to the connection between diet, health, and environmental sustainability.
Outcome: More than 400 Needham residents took the Meatless Monday pledge, committing to 12 Mondays of plant-based eating. The initiative started with a small pilot program, but after its initial success, the program was endorsed by the Needham Board of Health and launched town-wide.
When it comes to influencing the health of your community, sometimes it’s better to start small. Building a movement from the ground up creates a strong foundation that’s easy to build upon. In Needham, a suburb of Boston, a triumvirate of non-profit organizations started their own version of Meatless Monday in their community. The League of Women Voters of Needham, Green Needham Collaborative, and Needham Community Farm launched a public awareness campaign to inspire people to decrease their meat consumption and eat more healthy plant-based meals.
Residents of Needham were encouraged to go to the Needham Meatless Monday website and pledge to 12 Mondays of plant-based eating. The website included educational resources, cooking tips, and easy meat-free recipes.
“We are thrilled that over 400 individuals in the community have taken our Meatless Monday pledge to eat healthy plant-based meals on Mondays for 12 weeks. We are keeping up with the program even after the pledge period is over. Building on our success, we are planning to reach out to schools and restaurants in the coming year,” said Karen Price, Director of The League of Women Voters of Needham.
