Compassionate Children’s Programming

Working with children and families is very important to us, in fact, that is how Cruelty Free You + Me came into this world! Our Executive Director, Vick Hiatt founded CFY+M as a way to merge her passions for education and veganism together. She had been a teacher for over a decade and during that time had hundreds of honest conversations with children about the importance of showing kindness to all living beings. She realized the impact these conversations were having and decided to launch compassionate education within the Chicago community.

Compassionate Children’s Programming (CCP) is donation-based programming that focuses on animals, the environment, and kindness towards one another. Our program educates children and their families about compassionate living through literature, art, and hands-on experiences. Each session we share multiple stories about rescue animals, veganism, the world, various races and cultures, and so much more. Following each book, we complete a correlated art activity and open the floor for conversations and questions. During our in-person events, vegan snacks and juice boxes are provided for children. Our goal is to share new snacks to provide families with new options to serve at home or send with their child to school. Each lesson is planned by our incredible Teaching Team and delivered to families with love + intention.

None of our sessions contain an aggressive or judgmental attitude about veganism, but will be filled with understanding, curiosity, and joy! Right now, you can join our sessions virtually via Patreon. For only $5 per week, your family has access to story times, coloring pages, and kid-friendly recipes. Once the weather is warmer, we will be hosting our sessions at farmers markets + local parks.

Interested in bringing our Compassionate Programming to your market or event? Yes, we even do birthday parties! (We love to throw a good party.) Please send us an email at victoria@crueltyfreeyouandme.org.