Jill Hartman is an impressive human being. For three months, Jill rolled up her sleeves and jumped into action as one of Mercy For Animals precious interns – playing a vital role in various campaigns and projects. At the end of Jill’s internship, she wrote this about her adventures:
“I started this internship only knowing that I cared about animals. I knew that Mercy For Animals focused on helping farmed animals, but being born and raised a city girl I had no idea what I was really getting into, or what the animal agriculture industry was really like.
I began my internship in Ohio collecting signatures to help abolish some of the cruelest factory farming practices in the country. This was the first time I was faced with the harsh reality of the exploitation and torture that farmed animals across the United States experience every day, along with the disconnect that people have between such cruelty and what they eat. It was inspiring to be working alongside so many passionate, dedicated and like-minded animal advocates, and it’s an amazing feeling to know that I played a role in the groundbreaking settlement that was reached in Ohio.
After the signature-collecting campaign in Ohio, I helped to organize and participate in various outreach events, such as feed-ins, leafleting, tabling at festivals, setting up library displays, distributing our Compassionate Living magazine throughout the city, and most recently, an egg-recall demonstration.
Through MFA’s public outreach I’ve engaged in thoughtful conversations with people from all walks of life and have found that grassroots activism is an incredibly rewarding experience — by inspiring other people to adopt a plant-based diet, I have helped spare thousand of animals a lifetime of unnecessary suffering. What is more rewarding than that?
Animal protection has also made its way into my everyday life and conversation. My boyfriend’s household has initiated Meatless Mondays, friends ask me about going vegetarian, and even my father can’t help but love the delicious vegan food Chicago has to offer. And it all started with my internship here at MFA.
Although my internship is over, my work to protect animals is just getting started. This semester I’m starting an animal advocacy group at my university, where I’ll continue to be a voice for farmed animals by educating my fellow students about what they can do to adopt a compassionate, vegan diet.”
You, too, can gain valuable experience, and help countless animals, by interning with MFA in Columbus, Chicago, Dallas, or New York City. Click here learn more about MFA’s internship program and to apply today.
