Hi there!

My name is Lucy and the little orange and white guy you see in the pictures is Parsnip. I got Parsnip in February 2024 and began posting videos of him on TikTok. Since then, we have amassed a following of over 100,000 people from all over the world. It has been a crazy, but incredible journey sharing our adventures with the world.

I do not take for granted what a privileged position I am with Parsnip. We have a roof over our head, food in the fridge and a warm place to sleep. We have family who support us and a job that pays the bills (not TikTok by the way, I do work full time!). So, in Instead of chasing down brand deals and pocketing earnings, we have decided to launch the Parsnip for Pets campaign to ensure no pets go hungry this Christmas.

Food Banks are struggling. The cost of living crisis is hitting people hard and the number of people relying on foodbanks is increasing daily. People give generously, but pets are often forgotten. I know first hand how important pets are to people. When life gets tough, a set of paws, hooves, flippers (whatever!) can make an enormous difference. Nobody should consider giving up their pet because they can't afford to feed them, and nobody should be giving up eating themselves, so their pets can.

BUT YOU CAN HELP. We've made it easy, here's how:

1. Go and watch our TikTok videos. Pick the ones over one minute long that are not paid partnerships (there aren't too many of those, don't worry) and watch the full thing, comment, like, share...click the buttons! It costs you nothing, you don't have to leave your sofa and it will add money to Parsnip's creator fund. Any pennies raised between now and December (and if it goes longer, we'll keep donating!) will be used to purchase pet and human food for local food banks.

2. Buy from our Amazon wish list - you can buy pet goods from this wish list that get sent directly to us to add to our donation drops. We have also included some vital goods for people on there too.

3. Donate through this Go Fund Me page. If you'd rather donate money, please feel free to do it here. The money will come to us and we will then use it to buy donations for pets and people requested by the food bank.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THE MONEY IS GOING TO THE FOODBANK/DONATIONS?

For safety reasons, we are not sharing the name or location of the food bank as Parsnip has grown pretty popular, we'd rather not share too much about where we live, but we'll be posting all the donations on TikTok and Instagram with full transparency. Yes, it is going to require a little trust from you guys, but we are doing this in a way to keep us safe - it's the wild west out there online!

If we raise enough to comfortably support our local food bank, the remaining funds will be used to purchase donations for another food bank.

If you don't want to support this campaign, but would like to help, here is how you can:

1. Reach out to your local food bank to ask what they are in need of for pets and/or people. They sometimes publish a list on their website or social media of 'in need' items.

2. Volunteer your time at your local food bank. Donations are the backbone of the operation, but without the people to help - it all falls apart. Your time has infinite value!

3. Donate money directly to your local food bank - they will use this to support people in your local area.

4. Drop donations off at a drop off point - usually there is a drop off at the supermarket so you can add a few things to your weekly shop and drop them off when you're done.

THANK YOU in advance. Let's really make a different to those around us this Christmas!!

For any enquiries, please contact [email redacted]