Becki Markle has been one of the most dedicated outreach volunteers that Mercy For Animals has ever had, working full time for four months straight and coordinating an incredible team of Chicago volunteer activists. During her time with MFA she has helped hand out thousands of leaflets, marched in several parades, convinced hundreds of people to watch a four-minute segment of MFA’s powerful documentary “Farm to Fridge” and exhibited at most of the city’s biggest summer festivals.
We recently caught up with Becki to find out about her experiences with MFA and to learn what is next for this superhero for animals.
What first inspired you to become a vegan?
Before interning with MFA, I had been skirting the vegetarian/vegan divide for a couple of years. Interning here in Chicago was the push I needed to finally and fully adopt a plant-based diet. With the support of all the amazing new vegan friends I’ve made in Chicago, the great pro-veg restaurants and this internship, I was easily able to say goodbye to all the foods I thought I couldn’t give up.
Why did you choose to volunteer with MFA?
I’ve known for a couple of years that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping eliminate animal cruelty, particularly cruelty towards farmed animals. Luckily for me, and those innocent, voiceless creatures that are subjugated, exploited and tortured every day, MFA has made it their mission to end it.
What do you like most about volunteering with MFA?
Volunteering with MFA has been one of the best experiences I’ve had so far in my life. Not only do I get to work with the most dedicated animal activists, I get to see firsthand how both the volunteers and official MFA representatives touch the lives of not only people, but the animals they’re working so hard for.
I’ve been so lucky to work with MFA’s eastern outreach coordinator, Mikael Nielsen. Mikael and the other great friends I’ve made have taught me what positive and effective outreach looks like so I can inspire others to make more compassionate choices in their daily lives.
What is your favorite food?
I love all fattening foods! Pizza and ice cream have to be my favorites–plant-based, of course! If you ask me, living in Chicago has been great because it has some of the best vegan ice cream and pizza options around. My figure might not appreciate this, but my taste buds sure do!
Why do you volunteer your time to help farmed animals?
Although I love all animals and each animal rights issue is important, I am most passionate about working on behalf of animals used for food. Each year nine to ten billion land animals are killed for consumption. With the human population only expected to increase in the coming years, if we don’t drastically change our current food industry, this number will exponentially rise, causing even more unnecessary pain, suffering and death.
Also, because farmed animals suffer in such great numbers, I don’t think I could ever live with myself if I didn’t try to eliminate, or at least minimize, that suffering.
What are your most memorable experiences interning with MFA?
Although I have gained so many great memories from this experience, one of the most touching involved a woman I had the pleasure of interacting with at Pride Fest. I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard to try and convince someone to watch our four-minute “Farm to Fridge” segment. Finally, she took the plunge. I stayed with her the entire time.
By the end of the video, she was not only sobbing, but couldn’t support herself and had to sit down at our table. She hugged me and the other volunteer, Brian, countless times, thanking us for showing her. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of a stranger as I was of her, knowing she had the courage to push through and conquer the video!
What is your favorite type of volunteer event?
Leafleting is great because it’s one of the best ways to reach out to a lot of people in a limited amount of time. Throughout the four months that I’ve been with MFA, I’ve heard from so many people at numerous leafleting events that because of our pro-veg lit, they’ve become inspired to adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet.
So many amazing and dedicated activists that I now have the pleasure of calling my friends join in the effort, making the time spent leafleting so much fun. And although I leaflet to give a voice to the animals who cannot speak for themselves, I myself have benefited so much from leafleting. I’ve become so much more confident and both my leadership and people skills have flourished. It’s a win-win all around!
What’s next for Becki Markle?
I’m lucky enough to have been chosen to accompany MFA’s national outreach coordinator for the next six weeks on the “Why love one but eat the other?” tour!
