Nonprofit to Give Away Vegan Meals to High Schoolers

A nonprofit run by volunteers plans to serve free vegan lunches to students at Ashland (OR) High School once a week beginning next year, reports the Ashland Daily Tidings. The initiative by One Ashland hopes to draw funding and food donations from area businesses, individuals and farmers and demonstrate that high schoolers are willing to eat meat and dairy free dishes.

The nonprofit is supported by former child actor Taran Smith (Home Improvement), who is donating the food truck, and by a local vegan food company called Playfood. One Ashland recently performed a test run of its project and drew some 40 customers from the high school to the truck, which parked across the street during the lunch hour and served a menu that included quesadillas, grilled cheese and ice cream made with meat and dairy substitutes.