If you do just two things today, we hope that you read today’s article (you’ll get verklempt!) and also donate to Our Hen House (we’ll get verklempt!). If you do just one thing, we hope you simply donate, so that, together, we can change the world for animals. (If you do seven things, we hope one or two of them involve pancakes.)
Today is “Giving Tuesday,” y’all — a day dedicated to giving back! Today, charities around the world will come together to celebrate generosity — your generosity, perhaps? Here at OHH, we are dedicated to mainstreaming the movement to end the exploitation of animals. We do that by producing a weekly, two hour-ish podcast episode, a TV show (yesterday marked the beginning of our second season!), an online magazine, an ebook publishing arm, and talks on veganism, activism, and animal law that we regularly present throughout the country (and beyond). We’ll cut to the chase now and remind you that between now and the end of the year, all donations made to Our Hen House (which is a 501c3, making your contributions tax-deductible) are doubled! Your gift in support of changing the world for animals will count twice! (We also send some fantastic swag in exchange for your donations. I mean, really, truly, fabulous (and ethically-sourced) stuff. So get your generosity on, and we’ll send you purrrrr-sents.)
With all that in mind, let us share a very special testimonial with you, which we hope you will enjoy as much as we do. It tells the story of OHH Board Member and Barnyard Benefactor Alexander Gray, who — it’s evident now — LOVES US. That’s good, because we love him too — so it’s basically a clucking love fest here at OHH. The story of how OHH has shaped his advocacy is so super-duper moving… I mean WOW…
Here’s why Alex loves us, and why you should too (blush)… Especially today… Which is, just in case you forgot, “Giving Tuesday!” So please GIVE!! Join us as we change the world for animals!
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Alex LOVES US!!
My Name is Alexander Gray, and I’m an OHHolic.
The squawking began over grilled chimichurri seitan at Candle 79, with our mutual friend Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. Colleen’s own podcast had transformed me and my husband David Cabrera’s life, and the two of us were (and continue to be) grateful supporters of her platform. Already ethical vegans and members of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, what we didn’t know was that we would soon fit into a community of like-minded people — wait, there is a community of vegans?! After that fateful night with Colleen and “the Davids” (that’s CPG’s hubby and my very own) — and, of course, Jasmin and Mariann Hens — my husband and I began listening to the Our Hen House podcast on our weekend drives from New York to the Hudson Valley. First, the squawks, then the laughter, then the awareness: banter, information, humor, calls to action. Yes! Yes! More please!
David and I own an art gallery, and have been involved in the arts our entire adult lives; we believe strongly that artists should be paid for their contributions. This carries over to independent media — if broadcast is not subsidized by advertising, the only way it can exist is through the support of its audience. So, we started contributing to the podcast.
A few months later, we received a heartfelt appeal, encouraging us to become Barnyard Benefactors. A challenge gift always motivates our giving — we know that when our dollar is leveraged, the sum of the parts becomes greater than the whole. With our contribution, listening to the podcast became more committed and regular, and our sense of community grew.
Beyond the education and entertainment we enjoy when we listen to the Our Hen House podcast week after week, we know that our support makes it possible to create and share extraordinary content — the voices of animal lovers, artists, writers, foodies, and thought-leaders whose stories and actions would not have reached our hearts and minds. The hens’ editing and curation has brought voices for animals and compassion to our daily lives — perspectives we don’t readily access in our mainstream media diet.
A by-product of our giving, has been more giving: The well-curated stories on OHH have resulted in an increase of my family’s giving to the movement. And, as we dive deeper into the community of animal advocacy and ethical veganism, our message to “civilians” becomes clearer and clearer, as we have more fascinating stories to relay, humor to tap, and squawking to share. Each week, we know we are part of a vision to change the world for animals. Thank you dear hens, for also changing the world for humans!
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Join Alexander Gray, David Cabrera, and the rest of the Barnyard Benefactors, and keep vegan indie media alive! Donate today and please help spread the word via your social media channels. All donations are tax-deductible, and between now and the end of the year, donations will be doubled (up to $25,000). Thank you from the bottom of our hen hearts!