“Unfortunately, there are no vegan soup kitchens in New York. So after I did my Google search and came up with nothing, I said, well, let me just do it myself!”

MICHELLE CARRERA

On Thanksgiving 2014, Michelle Carrera wanted to teach her young son Ollie about helping others and volunteer work, but she couldn’t find a place that would be handing out vegan meals to those in need… so she decided to cook up some vegan chili and distribute it herself. Well, with Ollie’s help of course – now 6 years old, Ollie is the co-founder of Chilis on Wheels and proudly handles the distribution of the meals. (Check out the interview for a cameo appearance by Ollie, a glimpse into his future plans for the company and a very important discussion on whether Minecraft will ever feature a vegan chili mod.)

2 years after Michelle and Ollie first handed out 15 thanksgiving meals, Chilis on Wheels now has 4 chapters in the continental US and another one in Puerto Rico and delivers 800 vegan meals per month, in addition to distributing pet food and cruelty-free personal care items to the homeless, and spreading the word on veganism and compassion to all living beings.

This is a special episode of The Plant-Based Entrepreneur Show. Every month, the show will feature a vegan charity or non-profit organization that is helping out people in need, communities, animals or the environment, and doing it with no harm to others. And with  their 2 year anniversary and their annual Thanksgiving drive coming up next month, Chilis on Wheels was just the perfect choice for kicking this off.

(Chilis on Wheels a 501(c)(3) registered public charity. Donations are tax-exempt.)

Show Notes

Main website: Chilis on Wheels (and check out the Chapters section on how to start one locally)

Facebook

Instagram

YouCaring crowdfunding campaign (ongoing): Help this 5-year-old Feed the Homeless

Online Vegan Food Drive for Chilis on Wheels: Amp Your Good, ongoing for the month of October 

One of non-profits supporting Chilis on Wheels: A Well-Fed World

First source of funding for Chilis on Wheels: The Pollination Project

Research on the effects of the vegan diet on prisoner behavior: NEWSTART program

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