Open the Cages Alliance organizes many public events in the Baltimore and Washington, DC areas to help animals and encourage compassion, including leafleting, conferences, protests, fundraisers, feed-ins, vegan bake sales, and festivals. Here is a look at some of our current and upcoming efforts:

Vegan Pledge Program – This program,begun in the UK and brought to the United States by our friends at Peace Advocacy Network, will empower thirty people to try living vegan for a month (and hopefully continue for a lifetime!) with the support of weekly informational meetings and one-on-one mentoring. Our first program in Baltimore will run from February 27th – March 27th, 2011. Please visit our Baltimore Vegan Pledge Program page for more information, and information on signing up as a pledge, mentor, or volunteer! In the future, we intend to run additional vegan pledge programs in Baltimore, and also set up a program in Washington, DC. We are also working on an online version of the Vegan Pledge Program, which will open the program up to people everywhere who may not have a Vegan Pledge Program currently running in their city.

Tabling, Outreach Events, and Demonstrations – OTCA frequently holds leafleting and other outreach events to spread the word about compassionate, vegan lifestyles. We hold monthly vegan bake sales and table at festivals and other public events during the warmer months, distributing free information and resources. We also leaflet at concerts and other events. When the circus or rodeo comes to town, we demonstrate on the behalf of animals used by these traveling acts. We also distribute information about the intrinsic worth of animals' lives, and the tragedy of their oppression by these industries.

If you would like to volunteer for any of our events, or would like more information, please get in touch with us by email at info@openthecages.org, by phone at 443-478-3074, or fill out our contact form. Thank you!

Vegtoberfest – We are excited to announce a festival to celebrate compassionate, vegan living, to be held in Baltimore in October 2011! Programming will include speakers, music, a vegan chili cook-off, and vegan exhibitors. Please sign up for our contact list on our website, and stay tuned for more details!