Community and togetherness is imperative for change, and Veggie Mijas is no stranger to this concept. With a focus on plant-based lifestyle and food justice, Veggie Mijas unites women, trans and gender non-conforming individuals and seeks to approach education, advocacy, and community through an intersectional lens.

Just this past Earth Day, Veggie Mijas hosted their first ever clothing swap in New York City. We talked to Marcy Arroyo, the Creative Director at Veggie Mijas to learn more about the story behind this special community and the Earth Day Celebration: Clothing Swap, Climate Talks, Vegan Eats event.

I know Veggie Mijas does focus on food justice and plant-based lifestyles. So, what sparked your passion for being in that space? 

I went vegan in the pandemic, kind of accidentally. I was just trying to learn how to do those recipes and stuff. And I found Veggie Mijas through recipe sharing. I saw a video of them talking about how to make traditional Hispanic and Latino foods vegan.

And I was like, okay, this is very interesting. So, I was following them, and that's how I realized I wanted to just be more involved in it. I didn’t really see that type of community ever before, honestly, or at least as active— it really was important because I didn't have anyone close. I didn’t have any friends who were vegan it literally was just me who was trying to just explore or even see what that even means because it kind of happened. I was just letting go of meat and then I let go of fish and I was like, okay, I let go of the eggs.

And then I went; what am I supposed to eat now? I've been eating tofu and rice and broccoli every day. I need to expand my palate here because this is not doing it. They were a great outlet, inspiration, and finding community, and just overall resources in general. 

How long have you been involved with this community?  

Around three or four years.

And how did you approach them when you were interested in getting involved?  

I think they posted something on the story, and said, we're looking for New York City organizers, and I just applied.

I remember meeting with our executive director, who is now executive director, at the time of having an interview. We were really vibing. 

And as you've been in this community, how have you personally grown and how have you seen the community grow over time? 

It has grown completely. When I started, it was fully a volunteer basis. It started off as a New York City chapter organization. For events, it's completely different than what I'm doing now, and it was very little pay. I wasn't doing it, you know, obviously to get paid.

It was just kind of like, this is fun to do. Might as well do it. But we grew. The team grew, our chapters grew, we got more organized. My role grew within the team. I was now doing communications and creative stuff and we were on payroll, and we were like really amped up.

Sadly though, we did have a hiccup in the road a few months ago, where our grants didn't go through, but I think that that was just a hiccup because we are on such a great path and are growing tremendously.

We have an internship program too, so  it has definitely grown. We were on the right track, but this grant thing came out of nowhere. Those are just the growing pains of nonprofit. Also, we became a 501C officially. 

What are some challenges that you have encountered over the years? 

Grants are a big thing. We also have about nine active chapters right now, like New York City, LA, Chicago…we're spread out. I think it's sometimes difficult, prioritizing… some cities need more support, so trying to prioritize those things can be tough when our entire team is like, we just want to help everyone, we just want everyone to do great.

And before we touch on the event this weekend, what has been the most satisfying thing about working at Veggie Mijas and how has the community itself impacted you?

I think the community itself is huge again, because I didn't have those people who look like me who are making recipes like me, you know? So that was super important for me. 

We all have the same ethics, and we also teach each other things. So that’s cool. For example, our education director. She knows a lot about like ancestral and indigenous wisdom and their eating habits and all that stuff. And I just learned so much from her. It's so beautiful.

That's just one person, there's other people who are very gifted in different ways. I just learn so much from everyone. 

We can pivot to the event that's happening this weekend.  So, tell me a little bit about it and the inspiration behind it.  

It was a long-time planning. It initially started off with Christina. She really wanted to do a clothing swap for months now. We were like, let's do a clothing swap, let's do a clothing swap. But just the times didn't line up. 

And we kind of rolled with the punches and made it happen. We landed on Pier 57, because they offered it to us for free because we're a nonprofit. It's going to be a great chill event. I think we have 180 RSVPs and it's a big space. So, I'm excited. 

They always say be intentional when you do this, because when people see something's free, it changes their perspective. But would you actually pay for it? Would you actually wear it? 

Those things I keep in mind when I'm going to these places, and I notice those things. So, I’m really excited for this one because again, the team that I have, who has done clothing swaps before, they're really good at setting these things intentionally. 

We educate nicely and say, take what you can and be intentional with it. Just because it's free, you know, I’d rather obviously it goes to someone who's going to wear it than someone who just gets in and throws it out, which is literally the whole point of this thing—and it's Earth Month!

What is something you want people to walk away with from this event? Aside from clothes of course.  

Once I discovered veganism. That was like the start. And then it was eco-conscious living and then low waste. And it just expands. I feel like I'm in an overall climate justice journey right now. 

So, being in this space, I feel like a lot of people have a lot of intersections of viewpoints. We all just want to do something good, but there's a lot of people who are very one vision, which is fine. But we can learn from each other.

That’s why I’m so excited for this because we can all learn from each other.

To learn more about Veggie Mijas and to get involved with the community follow them on Instagram @veggiemijas or visit veggiemijas.com.