Thank you for your interest in our Vegan Mentor Program, which provides valuable guidance to those making the transition to, or trying to stick with, a more compassionate diet. With your participation, this program will give people the extra help they need to become and remain vegetarian or vegan or to reduce their consumption of animal products.
As a mentor, you will act as a resource, helping people as they shop for groceries, decide what to bring to their work potluck, find a way to talk to their child’s teacher about their dietary requirements, and much more.
Below you will find our guidelines and expectations for the Vegan Mentor Program.
Making the transition to a plant-based diet is much easier with someone there to provide support and encouragement. We are very grateful for your willingness to lend that support, and we are confident the people you mentor will be too.
Why a Vegan Mentor Program?
Many people aspire to be vegetarian or vegan but need support in making the transition. They may not know where to start in replacing animal foods in their diet and need help finding satisfying foods. Others are already vegan but lack the support of their peers. They might not know anyone else who shares their concern for animals, and being able to talk to someone who does can go a long way in reassuring them that they are doing the right thing.
Mentor/Mentee Matching Process
Mentees are matched to mentors based on several criteria including the particular expertise (such as health/nutrition, cooking, reducing expenses, convenience, eating out, and peer issues) that the mentee is seeking, and similar motivations and interests.
Mentoring can consist of conversations over email or social media, and phone calls, and ideally some in-person meetings.
Once a match has been made, we will provide the mentor and mentee with an email introduction and each other’s contact information. We encourage matches to contact each other as soon as possible. To be sure you receive this email introduction, please add cathy@pdxveg.org to your email contacts.
At times mentors and mentees may have incompatible personalities or goals for the experience. This is perfectly acceptable and does not reflect negatively on either person. If at any point, you feel it is not a good match, please contact us to ask for a change.
What is Expected of Me as a Mentor?
Some mentees will want consistent communication, while others will want more occasional advice and guidance. Please discuss with your mentee what his/her expectations are.
While all of our mentees have requested mentors from PDX VEG, there are times when mentees change their mind or are not fully engaged in the program. Please do not let this discourage you as a mentor! Simply let us know you need another mentee.
What is Not Expected of Me as a Mentor? Only health professionals should provide medical advice. Giving people general nutrition recommendations, such as those found in the Daily Recommendations at VeganHealth.org and The Vegan RD website is great, but if someone needs specific nutrition advice, please advise them to contact a health professional.