Vegan Outreach Newsletter

[robert]

Here is a link to the most recent Vegan Outreach newsletter. I think it comes out every week or every two weeks, and I'll post the links when they arrive in my e-mail inbox:

 

http://www.veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050511.html

[robert]

Another Vegan Outreach Newsletter:

 

To read previous issues, please see the summary page: http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/

To unsubscribe, follow the link at the bottom of this message. Thanks!

 

May 18, 2005

 

Links and pictures at http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050518.html

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Adopt a College Humiliates Past Records!

Over 110,000 booklets this semester alone!

 

Last Day for Free Book!

If you donate $50 or more to Vegan Outreach or sign up for a recurring donation before midnight tonite (May 18), you will receive an autographed, hard-cover, limited advanced edition copy of Erik Marcus' latest book, Meat Market: Animals, Ethics and Money. You can sign up for recurring donations via givedirect.org (the recurring option is on the second page). (For those itemizing deductions, $22 of this donation will not be deductible.)

 

Question of the Week: Good Farms

 

Q: "Rather than asking people to eat less meat, why don't you encourage everyone to eat 'free-range' from good farms?"

 

A: The main problem with this is being able to determine what constitutes a truly "good farm," and what is just a dishonest marketing ploy. No real standards exist that are actively enforced and available to most people. "Free-range" is almost all marketing (for more, see "What about free-range?" and the links therein).

 

Unless an individual is able to visit a farm, there is really no way to tell if the animals are treated any differently than on standard factory farms. It's also hard to know how animals are slaughtered, especially when no outsiders are looking. It seems unlikely that anyone but a relative handful of people have the time to do this.

 

Our experience is that people are inclined to eat meat when it is inconvenient to be vegetarian -- that is, when they have no control over the situation. They wouldn't be able to get "better" meat in situations like that (at a friend's house, at a restaurant). If they are in control -- say, shopping at a grocery store or co-op, there are many faux-meat and other products available for them to try / purchase.

 

Finally, our booklets are never meant to be the end-all of anyone's diet. Once they start making a change, most people's diets evolve. Our booklets are intended to get them started on a change, one that hopefully leads to a cruelty-free diet!

 

Product of the Week: Gardenburger Chik'n

Joe Espinosa writes: "I spied Gardenburger's BBQ Chik'n next to their BBQ Riblets at the Jewel grocery store in Crete, IL (not the most sophisticated store in the world). My whole life I thought that I did not like BBQ. When someone would use BBQ sauce I would have to leave the room because I did not like the smell. However, I was pushed into trying the Gardenburger Riblet and discovered that my fear of the sauce was unfounded. I love the BBQ Chik'n even more -- so much so that I had to go back and buy it again the very next day."

 

Editor's note: Gardenburger's Buffalo Chik'n Wings are easily the spiciest mass-market "fake meat" product I've ever had.

 

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to [email protected]

 

 

Notes from All Over

 

AR2005

AR2005 is in Los Angeles this July! Jon Camp, Joe Espinosa, Anne Green, Jack Norris, and Matt Ball will all be there, and VO representatives may be giving several talks.

 

More Summer Events

Also this summer:

Taking Action for Animals in Washington, DC

The American Vegan Society's Annual Meeting (in NJ) and Summer Conference (in TN)

 

45 Days in 50 States

COK has launched a new campaign to air their latest documentary, 45 Days: The Life and Death of a Broiler Chicken, on public access stations across the U.S. Click here to help.

 

BBC: Spring Vegan Recipes

 

 

Notes from Our Members

 

I was in the Bay Area this weekend to look for an apartment. I stopped by San Jose State University and quickly handed out 202 Why Vegans (all I had room for in my suitcase).

I'm so glad I met Joe Espinosa at last year's AR2004 conference. I dropped by the Vegan Outreach table to say hi, and mentioned that I wanted to get the local university group to get more involved in leafleting or some such thing. Joe simply stated, "You could always just do it by yourself." I hemmed and 'haw'ed and made some lame excuse, I'm sure, mostly because I thought that leafleting by myself sounded too scary or hard. But afterwards, I thought about what he said and realized that it didn't make much sense to try to talk someone else into leafleting for 15 minutes once a month, when I could just spend that time actually leafleting.

What a difference that's made! Thanks, Joe!

-Suzanne Haws, now of Mt. View, CA, 4/19/05

 

I read your [Try Vegetarian!] pamphlet in October of 2004, and the day after I read it, I decided to go vegetarian.... I am very happy as a vegetarian and I would love to thank you for publishing such a well-informed piece of reading material.

-NA, 5/9/05

 

It was very exciting leafleting with Amanda Nichols at Merced College, as students who saw others reading the pamphlets would come to us asking if they could get one too. Afterward, we saw students all around the campus looking through and discussing the booklets together. A friend of mine who was attending a class that evening, saw at least one fellow student diligently studying the Why Vegan during class instead of listening to the lecture. Twice, we were lucky enough to have individuals stop and ask detailed questions about veganism, animal cruelty, and nutrition, one of whom took a Vegan Starter Pack, and both of these students pledged to give veganism a try!

-Russell Stahl, Atwater, CA, 5/5/05

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

Here is the latest issue:

 

E-Newsletter June 1, 2005

Links and pictures at: http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050601.html

 

 

Shop at The Vegetarian Site in June and 10% of your purchase goes to Vegan Outreach!

 

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Double Your Donation!

Vegan Outreach has received a conditional donation of $5,000 from a dedicated supporter, but this supporter has asked that we do not cash the check until we raise an equivalent amount from other sources. So, please give whatever you can today, and your donation will mean twice as much to the animals! (Please mark donations "conditional grant.")

 

Summer Happenings

With conferences, talks, and other travel, the office will be closed at times between June 7 and August 7. Merchandise and booklet orders may be delayed during this time so please plan ahead -- order the materials you will need for your summer outreach today. Thanks!

 

Products of the Week

Hyla writes: "Wildwood makes the very very best soy products! Soy yogurt, their plain, is really fabulous. NO SUGAR! This makes it so much better. And their soy milk - chocolate, is so excellent. We like it even better than Silk, which we are quite familiar with as well."

Amie Hamlin offers: "Tofurky Sausages - they're huge, they're delicious, they blur the line between real meat and fake. I don't like fake meats, but these are truly good. Saute the Sweet Italian Sausage flavor (contains sun dried tomatoes and basil) and then add to spaghetti sauce; saute the Beer Brats (made with microbrewed beer) with onions and peppers, and eat on bread. Do the same with the Kielbasas. If anyone thinks they're not getting enough protein on a veg diet, these pack 29 grams each!"

And for some of the non-human readers out there, Veronica says: "My vegan dogs loooove Greenies and Greenies P-Nutz. Great for their teeth, too!"

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to [email protected]

 

Donate a Vehicle

Independent Charities of America -- who runs GiveDirect and state employee giving programs -- has added an easy way to donate a used vehicle to Vegan Outreach. Learn more.

 

 

Notes from All Over

 

Tortured by Tyson

 

"From December 2004 through February 2005, a PETA undercover investigator worked on the slaughter line of a Tyson Foods chicken processing plant in Heflin, Alabama. Using a hidden camera, he documented the treatment of the more than 100,000 chickens killed every day in the plant." Warning: Disturbing video.

 

 

Notes from Our Members

 

I went to a lecture downtown and I picked up some brochures and read through them and I saw this website. I saw you could get a free vegetarian starter packet. I have wanted to go veg but I didn't know how to start and I hope this packet will help me to start.

-AS, Iowa City, IA, 5/21/05

 

I went to a concert about 4 or 5 years ago and a band that played had Vegan Outreach's Why Vegan? pamphlets. That is a great pamphlet for people to learn with! I turned vegan after reading that and learning more about it. I was wondering if I might be able to get a pack of those pamphlets -- no matter whether you can send me 5 or 500, I can distribute many packets, stickers, posters, anything. The more you can send me, the more people will learn.

-CB, Central Point, OR, 5/26/05

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

Another Vegan Outreach Newsletter:

 

E-Newsletter June 8 , 2005 | http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050608.html

 

To read previous issues, please see the summary page http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/

 

Shop at The Vegetarian Site in June and 10% of your purchase goes to Vegan Outreach! http://thevegetariansite.com

 

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Help Free the Donation!

Since June 1, Vegan Outreach has received $790 towards the conditional donation of $5,000. We cannot cash the check until we raise an equivalent amount from you. So, please give whatever you can today, and your donation will mean twice as much to the animals! (Please mark donations "conditional grant.")

Note: Vegan Outreach has been awarded the "Best In America" seal by the Independent Charities of America and the National Council of Nonprofit Associations -- one of 1500 so designated, out of more than 50,000 that participate in the Combined Federal Campaign.

 

 

Activist Profile: Suzanne Haws

Throughout the summer, Vegan Outreach will profile some of the top leafleters from our Adopt A College campaign. This week, we profile Suzanne Haws, who handed out 6,682 Vegan Outreach booklets throughout the 2004-2005 school season. Here are some excerpts:

 

What made you decide to start leafleting? and: If you were nervous the first time, how did you get over it?

 

I started leafleting after meeting Joe Espinosa at AR2004. He suggested that, rather than hoping that other people would start leafleting with me, I should just get started by myself. While I didn't particularly like the idea of doing leafleting all by my lonesome, his suggestion just made sense.

The first time I went out to leaflet, though, I began to doubt his wisdom. I was so nervous; I guess I thought it would be scary or hard or someone would yell at me. But after about five minutes of leafleting, I was laughing at myself. It was one of the easiest things I'd done all week! I'd also already bribed myself with the promise of lunch at my favorite restaurant later--that didn't exactly hurt my motivation.

 

Why do you leaflet colleges?

 

There are two main reasons I leaflet colleges. First, there is nearly always a large volume of pedestrian traffic on college campuses, so colleges tend to be an excellent venue to get our materials into the hands of individuals.

Secondly, college students tend to be more open to change and new information than the general public. So on college campuses you not only have lots of pedestrians wandering around, but those pedestrians are a great target audience for our message. What could be better?

 

What was your most positive college leafleting experience this year and why?

 

About three people over the course of the year have told me that they've gone vegetarian after receiving a booklet from me. That's very encouraging because I'm sure that there are many other people who've also decided to eliminate their meat consumption but who haven't had the opportunity to let me know!

 

 

Product of the Week

Angela Lassiter writes: "I'd like to nominate Follow Your Heart's Vegan Gourmet 'Mozzarella-Style' Cheese Alternative. IT MELTS, and it takes so much like the real thing, I can't believe it's vegan!"

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to [email protected]

 

 

 

Notes from All Over

 

Job Opening

Compassionate Action for Animals in Minnesota -- a leading regional group and key Adopt a College partner -- is hiring a Campaign Coordinator.

 

 

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[willpeavy]

This is from the newest one:

 

1. Veganism is only a tool to reduce suffering and save animals. Period.

 

Veganism is not a list of ingredients, or a religion. It is not an exclusive club or a label to prove our superiority. Being vegan is part -- and only a part -- of what we can do to reduce suffering and save animals.

 

I think that's perfectly written, and I agree 100%

[robert]

I agree, and that is very similar to what I tell people on a regular basis. I don't say those exact words, but pretty dang close.

 

I hope everyone on this board sees that statement.

 

Also, check out my Presenting Veganism article. I know you already read it Will, but hopefully others will too.

[robert]

Vegan Outreach Newsletter

 

Special Edition: Hall of Fame

 

At AR2005 in Los Angeles, Matt Ball and Jack Norris were inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame, joining previous inductees Cleveland Amory, Gene and Lorri Bauston, Howard Lyman, Ingrid Newkirk, Peter Singer, and Henry Spira. The following is Matt's acceptance text, which is taken from A Meaningful Life; Jack's speech will be presented later.

 

Some of you might be wondering why Jack and I are listed together. Isn't that cheating? I’d have to say our election to the Hall of Fame is recognition of the efforts of Vegan Outreach, and not for one or two people. Obviously, with thousands of activists distributing booklets and thousands donating to print more, there are too many to honor or thank here, but just quickly, I’d like to mention just a few of those who have been indispensable to our efforts: Anne Green, Lauren Panos, Jon Camp, Joe Espinosa, Michael Greger, Michael Tucker, George Eisman, Steve Kaufman, Bruce Friedrich, Gaverick Matheny, and Peter Singer.

 

All these people believe in the mission of Vegan Outreach, which is this: To make everyone and anyone, in any situation, the most effective advocate for animals possible. I’d like to use this opportunity to list a few facts we have recognized and principles we have espoused since we started working together in 1990:

 

1. Approximately 99% of the animals killed in the United States each year are slaughtered for food. If you remember just one thing, remember this: ~99% of the animals killed in the U.S. this year -- about ten billion land animals -- will be killed to be eaten.

 

2. When we choose to do one thing, we are necessarily choosing not to do other things. This is not a judgment on anyone’s approach, but a simple recognition that we have very finite time and resources. Believing we can or must do everything for every animal is unrealistic. We have to make choices about how to use our time and money to prevent the most misery for the most animals.

 

3. Every person we meet is a potential major victory for the animals! Convincing just one person to stop eating animals -- or even simply convincing one person to cut their meat consumption -- saves many hundreds of animals over the course of a llifetime, while creating pockets of change around that person.

 

Recognizing these facts has led us to work hard to provide the best, most powerful tools possible, so we can provide the animals a clear voice, and allow us each to have the biggest impact we can possibly have. But there are many factors that go into being the best advocate for the animals we can be. So to conclude, I’d like to share just two lessons about advocacy that took me many years to learn:

 

1. Veganism is only a tool to reduce suffering and save animals. Period.

Veganism is not a list of ingrediens, or a religion. It is not an exclusive club or a label to prove our superiority. Being vegan is part -- and only a part -- of what we can do to reduce suffering and save animals.

 

2. More important than any individual choice we may make or position we hold is the influence we have on the choices of others. The animals don’t need us to be right, they need us to be effective, to create real and lasting change. To this end, our literature and arguments are not the most important tools we have. Rather, what is most powerful is our example.

 

To have the greatest impact for the animals, we must be the kind of person others would like to know and emulate. For all those suffering, unseen, on factory farms, we must be polite, humble, and joyous -- in short, we need to be the opposite of the angry vegan stereotype.

 

To paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr., The arc of history is long, but bends towards justice. We recognize that the brutal exploitation and slaughter of billions each year is the greatest injustice today. With that recognition and the right tools and approach, we have the potential -- each and every single one of us -- to bend history further towards justice, and profoundly and fundamentally change the world.

 

I am truly and deeply honored to work with you for animal liberation, the moral imperative of our time. Thank you.

 

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Matching Gift Goal Met

Thanks to everyone who donated to the $5,000 matching goal. Your generosity will allow us to print and distribute more booklets.

 

Hall of Fame: Jack Norris

At AR2005 in Los Angeles, Matt Ball and Jack Norris were inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame, joining previous inductees Cleveland Amory, Gene and Lorri Bauston, Howard Lyman, Ingrid Newkirk, Peter Singer, and Henry Spira. Matt's acceptance text was presented earlier; this is Jack's speech:

 

In addition to the people Matt thanked, I want thank:

 

My parents Sylvia and Jack Norris and my grandmother Mary Poe who provided a great deal of indirect support for Vegan Outreach, at least for my part in it. To Anne Green for all she has done, and it has been a lot. To Alex Hershaft who gave us support in getting off the ground. To Marcia Grodin who has supported us in memory of her son Glenn - a friend and activist in Pittsburgh who passed away in 1995. To Lauren Ornelas who has given me much support and who I expect to see up here getting this award in the coming years.

 

To Vegan Outreach's financial supporters, without whom we could do nothing. To Jon Camp who personally handed over 67,000 of our brochures to college students in the past year. And to all our volunteers who do the unglamorous, unsophisticated work of standing on street corners and on college campuses informing people one by one about the cruelty of factory farming.

 

Our efforts -- and those of many other people and organizations -- are paying off. A few weeks ago, ARAMARK, a college food service company, reported that 24% of students who responded to their survey said it was important to have vegan options on their campus. This is great news, but our work has just begun.

 

A premise behind Vegan Outreach is that significant advances for animals will not occur until a much greater percentage of the population is vegetarian. While we wish we could be victorious today, we have to set our sites on students and younger people who will be either the meat-eaters or vegetarians of tomorrow. That outcome will be determined by what we do today. So please go to VeganOutreach.org and get involved in our Adopt a College program either by actively distributing pamphlets or providing other support.

 

Thank you very much for this honor.

 

 

Notes from All Over

Study: Chickens Think About Future

"Chickens do not just live in the present, but can anticipate the future and demonstrate self-control, something previously attributed only to humans and other primates, according to a recent study."

 

 

Notes from Our Members

Vegan Outreach inspires me so much. The newsletters are touching and powerful, and the commitment and stand that the core volunteers and staff are for a peaceful and safe world is truly amazing. I adore this group and it's my privilege to contribute what I can to further your mission and be a part of the huge contribution you make to people and animals.

-Dallas Rising, Minneapolis, MN, 7/13/05

 

Your Why Vegan? booklet is what made me decide to go veg. It was an immediate decision right after I saw the booklet in our local library. It changed my life!

-RD, 7/13/05

 

Note: If you've missed an issue, you can get caught up here.

 

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

July 27, 2005 | veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050727.html

 

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Activist Profile: Danielle Marino

As we continue to profile our top leafleters in our Adopt A College campaign, this week we turn our attention to Chicago activist and founder of Protecting Animals, USA, Danielle Marino. Throughout the 2004-2005 school year, Danielle handed out 5,885 Vegan Outreach booklets directly to college students. A prolific young woman, Danielle also spends her time leafleting concerts and high schools, giving out free vegetarian food at Chicago festivals, and running a weekly public access cable program which promotes vegetarianism. Below are some excerpts from our interview with her:

 

What made you decide to start leafleting, and, if you were nervous the first time, how did you get over it?

I decided to give leafleting a try after Josh Balk (of HSUS) and Jon Camp explained to me how effective leafleting is by quoting the numbers of vegetarian starter guide requests that came in as a result of their work. I couldn't argue with those numbers, so I had Jon leaflet with me one day.

At first, I was extremely nervous and very pessimistic about leafleting. I was not sure how individuals would react, although I got over the nerves by going out with others as much as possible. It also helped that most people I leafleted were actually quite friendly.

 

Why do you leaflet colleges?

I try to promote vegetarianism as big business promotes products: I target my message to audiences that are the most receptive....

 

What was your most positive college leafleting experience this year and why?

Well, my favorite experiences used to be when I would hear a passerby say, “Thanks for being here,” or “I’m vegetarian!” Now, however, I really enjoy visiting schools that are a harder sell. I remember just six years ago, before I was vegetarian, when I made fun of a person leafleting vegetarian literature on my college campus. I was extremely defensive, because somewhere deep inside me I knew that eating meat was causing suffering and that I should change. I didn’t want to change, so I closed myself off until years later. Now, as a leafleter myself, I’d rather hear defensive reactions than apathetic or even supportive comments. This way I know that I am hitting a crowd that needs to be hit.

 

 

Notes from All Over

 

Vegan Ultra-Marathon Champion

Via DawnWatch.com:

"There is a delightful article in the Friday, July 22, Seattle Post-Intelligencer that should be read by every vegan who has had to face questions about whether she/he gets enough protein, and whether the diet is really healthy. Headed, 'Seattle man amazes everyone in 135-mile marathon--including himself,' it is about Scott Jurek, a vegan athlete who just won the Badwater Ultramarathon and who has won the Wesstern States 100 mile race seven times in a row.

"And then the great news about Jurek's compassionate diet:

"'For food, Jurek, a vegan, ate energy bars and gels, potatoes and rice balls, chased by soy protein drinks and electrolyte capsules. He consumed 60-120 calories every 20-30 minutes, mostly on the run.'"

 

Wegmans Cruelty

A film about the fraud of "Animal Care Certified."

 

Student Successfully Fights Campus "Free Speech Zones"

"School officials told student she could hand out animal-rights leaflets in one area of campus..."

 

Vegan Realtor to Donate Half of Commissions

Lisa Reveen of southern California is donating half of her commissions to animal charities, including Vegan Outreach. Contact her at [email protected] if you are looking to buy or sell -- even a referral can help print more copies of Why Vegan and Even If You Like Meat.

 

 

Notes from Our Members

I'm already a VO supporter and just wanted to let you know I was watching Morgan Spurlock's new series 30 days on FX yesterday (July 13) and it chronicled 2 "city slickers" living in an eco-community. At the end of the show, one of them became interested in a vegan diet and she was reading your Vegan Starter Pack. It was pretty cool to see.

-KO, 7/14/05

 

Note: If you've missed an issue, you can get caught up here.

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

August 10, 2005

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Activist Profile: Jeff Boghosian

As we continue to profile our top Adopt A College leafleters, this week we turn to Richmond, VA activist, Jeff Boghosian. During the 2004 ? 2005 school year, Jeff handed out a total of 4,997 Vegan Outreach booklets directly to college students. When not leafleting at colleges by himself, Jeff is actively involved with Compassionate Action For Animals out of Richmond and also involves himself with human rights causes. Below are some excerpts from our interview with him:

 

What made you decide to start leafleting and if you were nervous the first time, how did you get over it?

I decided to start leafleting because I was searching for new ways to reach people in an effective and direct way...

 

I was definitely very nervous in the beginning. Regrettably, my first box of Why Vegan? booklets sat in my closet for close to a year before I started. I got over my nervousness by realizing that it's just something that has to be done if we want more people to go vegan. I recognized that the VO brochures were accurate and effective, and also that there is nothing wrong with offering people information in a friendly way. I think most people don't want to cause animal suffering, and even though they may 'like the taste of meat,' they will be open for change if we present it the right way.

 

In my first time leafleting, I started small. I first searched for a place where I'd feel comfortable. I leafleted from the side of the sidewalk, skipping anyone who was in a hurry or who looked even remotely intimidating, and especially looking for people who made eye contact. I found that some people were curious and wanted to take a brochure regardless of what it was, while others didn't want one. Once I started, the nerves (mostly) went away.

 

What would you say to individuals hesitant about leafleting?

 

... I was also personally hesitant because I know learning about factory farming will undoubtedly cause anguish and anger in people, and I'd rather not be the messenger. But animal suffering is real, and needs to be addressed both for the animals' sake and because most people aren't living true to themselves when they support factory farming. So even though the brochure will evoke uncomfortable feelings and possibly anger, I think most people will ultimately think it a good thing to have personally addressed the issue.

 

Read the entire interview on-line!

 

 

Product of the Week: Chik'n

Both Joe Espinosa and Gil Schwartz recently wrote to rave about Boca, which has recently reintroduced their Chik'n patties and nuggets without the eggs and milk products they previously had.

 

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to [email protected]; previous products can be found here.

 

 

 

Notes from All Over

 

Vote Now for VegNews Veggie Awards!

Vegan Outreach is on the ballot for Favorite Website (question 36). Go to the Veg News homepage, and click on the "Vote for the 2005 Veggie Awards" icon.

 

 

Animals, My Brethren

by Edgar Kupfer-Koberwitz, written in the Concentration Camp Dachau, in the midst of all kinds of cruelties.

 

"You asked me why I do not eat meat.... I refuse to eat animals because I cannot nourish myself by the sufferings and by the death of other creatures. I refuse to do so, because I suffered so painfully myself that I can feel the pains of others by recalling my own sufferings. ... These creatures are smaller and more helpless than I am, but can you imagine a reasonable man of noble feelings who would like to base on such a difference a claim or right to abuse the weakness and the smallness of others? Don't you think that it is just the bigger, the stronger, the superior's duty to protect the weaker creatures instead of persecuting them, instead of killing them? 'Noblesse oblige.' I want to act in a noble way."

 

 

Blank Park Zoo Pig Exhibit Generates Controversy

"Two sows are kept in farrowing stalls, also called 'crates,' that confine the animals and restrict their movements. ... But hog producer Phyllis Willis of Thornton calls the crates unethical. ... 'I have a problem seeing an animal locked up like that,' Willis said."

 

 

Notes from Our Members

I went to the Warped Tour and was handed the pamphlet. I had no idea this was going on. I am now a vegetarian and will do whatever I can to help end this cruelty.

-LS, Northville, MI, 8/1/05

 

Paul [Francione, at right with a body-screen TV; click on the picture for a larger version, to see the looks on the people's faces] and I agree that it was our best leafleting so far. We handed out more than 250 pamphlets in less than 1.5 hours. At times, I couldn't even get through the crowd anymore because it was so packed (I took the pictures when it was less busy). People were actually raising their hands to make sure that they get a pamphlet. Reaction was pretty much the same as usual: indignation, shock, some tears, but also a lot of thumps-ups for what we were doing. At any rate, it was a smashing success today!

-Niels Feuerhahn, Montreal, QC, 7/25/05

 

I learned about Adopt a College at the recent Animal Rights conference here in Los Angeles. Today was my first time leafleting at Cal State LA, my wife's alma mater, and it was a fantastic experience. I spent the first hour getting reacquainted with the campus and the second hour giving out 191 Why Vegans, mostly to high school kids. I couldn't believe how polite everyone was, especially in contrast to protests. And it seemed like almost everyone was reading it. One young lady carrying some bags took one and began reading it as she walked. When she approached the trash can she shouted "Oh God!" and threw something in the garbage. When I went to get the pamphlet out for possible reuse, I realized that it was her chicken lunch which she had discarded.

-SS, Burbank, CA, 7/29/05

 

If you've missed an issue of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter, you can see them on-line.

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

I'll start to posts links directly their site so it will be less text and you can explore their site.

 

Here are the links for the past 3 weeks:

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050817.html

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050824.html

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050831.html

[robert]

Latest newsletter from Vegan Outreach:

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050907.html

[robert]

Here is the latest:

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050914.html

[robert]

Here is the latest entry:

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050921.html

[robert]

latest:

 

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20050928.html

[robert]

Latest as of Oct. 5th

 

veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20051005.html

[robert]

Latest: Oct 13th

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20051013.html

[robert]

The latest from Vegan Outreach, Oct 26th

 

I'd like to update you on the status of Vegan Outreach's Adopt a College (AAC) program. AAC participants have now handed booklets to 390,000 college students, with more than 110,000 just this semester alone! By our estimates, this has led to thousands of new vegetarians -- and many more people who eat less meat -- saving hundreds of thousands of animals each year.

 

I've been out leafleting daily and I continue to receive feedback from students who have gone vegetarian as a result of our work. Moreover, within just this last week, I've been in contact with students who were handed a booklet on campus, and are soon to start leafleting their local colleges -- including Rutgers, George Mason U, and American U. (At right, Maria Lobikin leaflets at Penn, photo by Jon Camp; photo below by Julianne Kornack.)

 

Fifteen of our AACers have already distributed over 1,000 booklets at local college campuses this semester, including Los Angeles high school science teacher, Stewart Solomon. In addition to his full-time job, Stewart has made the time to hand out an extraordinary 14,000 booklets in just the past few months!

 

For mere pennies per booklet, Vegan Outreach is able to offer the youth of today a crash course on the hidden cruelties of factory farming. We have influenced thousands to go vegetarian and vegan and galvanized many to take action for animals. This will have profound implications in the future. All the students we reach are likely to one day have a chance to vote on factory farming issues. As a result of our work, they will now equate factory farming with animal cruelty.

 

The explosive growth of the Adopt a College program shows that there are dedicated activists willing take part in the less-than-glamorous work of leafleting.

But this work can only continue if there are individuals willing to donate to print more literature.

 

As of today, we have raised $13,047.50 of the $19,000 needed for our next printing of 250,000 booklets. Thanks so much to those of you who have already donated -- we're more than 2/3 of the way there!

 

For those who haven't yet contributed, I hope that this message today will show you the impact these efforts have and will inspire you to support this work. We need your help!

 

The animals desperately need your voice. Please let all those activists, out there speaking for the animals every day, know that you support this work. Help ensure that the voters and leaders of tomorrow reject cruelty to animals. I pledge I will continue to work my hardest to make your donation go as far as possible for the animals.

 

Please donate today.

 

You can donate securely on-line, or send a check or money order to:

 

Vegan Outreach | P.O. Box 38492 | Pittsburgh, PA 15238

 

Sincerely,

Jon Camp

Outreach Coordinator, Vegan Outreach

 

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

 

You can see previous issues of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter on-line.

[robert]

I haven't posted these in a while. Sorry about that. Here is the latest one:

 

E-Newsletter, Jan. 5 , 2006 This issue sponsored by DownBound.com

 

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

-Anne Frank

 

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Make a New Year's Resolution to Spread Vegetarianism Every Month!

You know that Vegan Outreach activists are out in public places promoting veganism all over the U.S. and Canada almost every day of the year. But you might not have the time to join them.

How about committing to join these activists with a monthly recurring donation? Each month, a set amount will be charged to your credit card. You don't have to do anything. And you can cancel at any time.

This sort of reliable, constant support really helps Vegan Outreach maintain our campaigns, while giving you the knowledge that you are preventing animal suffering without needing to lift a finger again.

Please: click here -- in only a minute you can help bring about a more compassionate world! At the bottom of the second page, you can choose to hhave the donation automatically recur monthly or quarterly.

Thank you!

 

Six Weeks in the South:

Help Jon Camp Speak for the Animals!

Jon Camp (at right) is in the planning stages of a six-week college outreach tour through the south, starting January 23. He has found housing for virtually every night of his trip but still needs a place to stay while in Mississippi, Louisiana, and in the Austin and College Station regions of Texas. If you would be willing to house this courteous young man for 1 or 2 nights, this would help ensure the success of the tour, allowing him to reach thousands and thousands more students with the plight of today's farmed animals. Please email him at jon at veganoutreach.org.

 

Product of the Week

Lynn Halpern nominates "the treats made by the Vegan Baking Company, particularly the Chocolate Peppermint Cream, the Peanut Butter Cup, the Pecan Joy and the S'mores. Each has a different yummy center enrobed in a thick layer of chocolate. They've been flying off the shelves since we began carrying them in our (all-vegan) gourmet market last month. Of further note, the company's website and promotional literature prominently displays the byline, 'Save the Animals.'"

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to [email protected]; previous products can be found on-line.

 

 

Notes from Our Members

 

Today at the local mall, I handed out 1,000 Why Vegans. A man complained to me that the pictures in the pamphlet weren't graphic enough. He had a friend who took a job in a slaughterhouse upon being released from prison. This friend told him about what goes on, so he was genuinely upset that the pictures in the Why Vegan were way too mild, as he felt people needed to be shown what really goes on. I told him that if we included the really graphic pictures, then few people would be able to read it, so a balance needs to be struck. He eagerly took a Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating, and thanked me for being out there.

A woman who works in Dillard?s asked me for more pamphlets. She said that she had gotten one from me earlier, that it made her cry, and that she just wishes there was something we could do about it, like pass a law. I told her that changing the law is very difficult, but that this is one of the few issues where we actually can do something just with our own individual actions. I gave her a GCFE and more Why Vegans. She told me that it was great that I was passing these out, and to keep it up.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, Houston, 12/18/05

 

I received my order of literature and distributed it to some of my close friends and family members. One person has already told me that he was going to stop eating meat and go vegetarian. I hope more people decide to as well. I feel good that it touched one life so far. Thank you for putting together such moving literature.

-NO, Breinigsville, PA, 12/19/05

 

Very inspiring words from Erik Marcus. My New Year's resolution for 2006 will be trying to convert those 500 people!

-DD, Rome, Italy, 12/22/05

 

You can see previous issues of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter on-line.

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[violet13]

I have least several animal rights organizations to support but Vegan Outreach in Pittburgh Pensylvania is great organization.

I am going to send my donation for their hard work for Animals.

Most important thing is to be effective and it is not so important for us to discuss who is right and who is wrong as long as we can make difference for animals.

That was long time ago but I remember about doing fur protest in Pittburgh PA with vegan/animal rights activists.

[robert]

Here is the latest from January 25, 2006

 

E-Newsletter, Jan. 25, 2006 http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20060125.html

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Southern Leafleting Tour, Week 2

Next week (Jan. 30 - Feb. 3), Jon Camp will be leafleting UNC Charlotte, GA State, GA Tech, UGA, and Clemson. While at UGA, he will be giving a workshop on leafleting; details on the talk can be accessed here. If you would like to help out with the leafleting, please email jon (at) veganoutreach.org. Thanks!

 

 

Nutrition Topic of the Week: Fats and Omega-3s

There are many ethical issues with eating fish. Among them are the individual fish that are killed, the bycatch (animals killed incidentally, including birds and mammals) that are thrown away, and the environmental destruction of the fishing industry. Despite these serious problems, many health advocates promote eating fish (only coldwater fish are high in omega-3s, by the way) as good for your heart and brain because their flesh contains omega-3 fats. But eating fish also have a downside in terms of health -- they can be high in mercury and other pollutants. Additionally, farmed fish are normally not high in omega-3s because they are fed an unnatural diet (omega-3s are produced by algae, not fish).

 

Luckily, people do not need to eat fish to be as healthy as possible. A daily teaspoon or tablet of flaxseed oil and, if necessary or desired, supplementation with DHA should provide all the health benefits, without the negative aspects of eating fish. You can read more about these issues in the fats section of Staying Healthy on a Plant-Based, and in DHA: Should Vegans Supplement? -- both available on-line

 

 

Products Galore!

What exactly is a Proggy? Peta's 2005 Progress Awards -- products and processes that help animals.

 

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to product (at) veganoutreach.org; previous products can be found here.

 

 

 

Notes from All Over

 

Teachers Wanted for Article

The Green Teacher is a magazine for teachers who want to include environmental education in their teaching. George Jacobs is planning an article for the magazine on why green teachers should include vegetarianism, and is asking elementary, intermediate, and high school teachers and students who have done such lessons or participated in them as students to write to him to briefly describe their lessons. Acknowledgement will be given to everyone whose experiences are included in the article.

 

 

Got Vegan?

excerpt: "Twelve minutes of footage showed pigs in gestation crates, dairy cows with enlarged and infected udders and hens stacked in cages by the thousands, each crammed into a space smaller than this piece of paper. 'These must be extreme cases,' I assured myself. However, when I looked further into the issue, I discovered that what I saw are not the exceptions -- they are the norm. Every sip of milk or bite into an omelet was a statement I was simply not willing to make -- 'This is O.K.'" Full article.

 

 

 

Notes from Our Members

 

It's been a while since I've been out leafleting. It sure felt good. I had a great conversation with one student at MDC. He stopped when I handed it to him, skimmed over it, and said with a ed look, "What is this?" I said, "That, my friend, is standard farming practices in the US." We talked at length, and at the end, he said, "That's it, I'm going vegetarian, for sure."

-Linda Bower, Miami Springs, 1/19/06

 

I recently discovered you on the VeganHealth website and went on to read your articles on Vitamin B12 and why you became a dietitian. I just wanted to let you know that as a fellow RD I really appreciate finding a credible authority on this topic. I work in a community setting where I counsel clients on the phone (often vegetarian) and prepare resource/handout material on a variety of topics. Thanks, and I look forward to reading more of your articles in the future!

-LB, 1/20/06

 

Thank you so much for your work -- Why Vegan helped convince me to go vegan five years ago -- I hope I can help others reach the same conclusion!

-SL, San Francisco, 1/19/06

 

Today I handed out 50 Even If You Like Meat pamphlets at Illinois State in about a half an hour. It was so easy. No one was rude, and the ratio of people to whom I offered them vs. who took one was probably 3 or 4 to 1. I plan on doing it every week, maybe mixing up the days so I don't get the same students coming out of the same classes all the time. I chose the Even If You Like Meat pamphlets over the Why Vegan and Try Vegetarian because in my experience in the past, it's a less controversial statement, allowing even die hard meat eaters a way in. I think Adopt a College is the best idea ever.

-Robin Hartmann, 1/19/06

 

 

You can see previous issues of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter online.

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

The latest:

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Jon Camp's First Week in the South

Thanks to volunteer help and donor support, the first week of my southern leafleting tour was a smashing success! Six schools (James Madison U, UNC Greensboro, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, NC State, and E. Carolina U) were leafleted, and a total of 5,684 students were given an Even If You Like Meat booklet in of just five days. Based on the quite constant feedback I received while leafleting, I have no doubt that this work informed a great many of today's youth about the desperate plight of farmed animals.

Next week, I will be leafleting the University of West Georgia, Auburn U, and various colleges throughout southern Louisiana. If you would like to join me for any of these days, or if you'd like me to give a talk about outreach to your local group, please email jon (at) veganoutreach.org. Thanks!

 

 

excerpts from Why Not Change the Laws?

People often complain that what Vegan Outreach does is too slow. It is, of course, natural to want to pass laws protecting farmed animals or banning factory farms; going vegetarian and doing person-to-person outreach seems far too slow.

Having been involved in all forms of animal advocacy for more than 15 years, we believe that, at this point in the U.S., very few compassionate individuals or organizations are in a position to affect farmed animals at any level of legislation. Modern animal agriculture is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and the U.S. government runs on money. When laws are passed, they are usually inadequate and aren't enforced.

For example, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act doesn't apply to birds, who represent the majority of animals slaughtered in the U.S. Even for mammals, there are few inspectors, and abuse is rampant (see, for example, an on-line story from the Washington Post).

State legislation also has its problems. The Florida ballot initiative that banned the practice of housing pregnant pigs in small crates cost animal protection groups millions of dollars and affected only two farms -- one of which moved to North Carolina.

Campaigns targeting companies have had more success. PETA has succeeded in forcing McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy?s to agree to buy meat from producers that follow certain animal welfare guidelines. It?s not clear, though, how well these guidelines are enforced; Gail Eisnitz, author of Slaughterhouse, reported that inspections of slaughterhouses supplying McDonald's are often staged, and rarely catch even the most overt cruelty (see her statement on-line).

Perhaps the most important factor to consider when dealing with welfare reforms is that the government and big business will manipulate public perception through misleading claims. See the expose on-line about the "Humane Certified" label which was given to eggs coming from the extremely inhumane conditions; see also the on-line link for how the term "free range" can mean just about anything.

If there is to be any significant change -- either through legislation or demand-driven reforms -- there will need to be much more widespread awareness among consumers and voters. The more people we can reach with detailed information, the more compassionate people will choose cruelty-free options, and speak on behalf of the animals who suffer so terribly, unseen and unheard, in today's factory farms and industrial slaughterhouses.

Although we wish there were a faster way, we believe that at this time, creating more awareness, and persuading more people to become vegetarian and vegan, will do the most good for animals in the long run.

-Matt Ball | full article online

 

 

Notes from Our Members

 

Today at UCLA, I distributed 1,960 Even If You Like Meat booklets, several AML and GCFE, between 7am-4pm.

University Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, had a ?Vegan Outreach Event,? with tables set up in the campus center, giving out EIs, Why Vegans, and various other literature. I was there as the Vegan Outreach representative. There was a band and they gave away vegan snacks, vegan cookies and vegan soy ice cream. I set up a table but wandered about campus for much of the time. I saw the students walking at some distance away, finishing their ice cream, throwing out the packaging into the overflowing trash cans, but carefully holding onto the literature. USETA is a great group of students with a philosophy of activism virtually identical to that of Vegan Outreach.

At the end of the day I offered a young lady an EI. She took it and broke into tears. She said she was a vegetarian but she couldn?t look at the pamphlet. She wanted to know what she could do. I walked her over to the table, gave her a GCFE and an AML and introduced her to the USETA students.

-Stewart Solomon, 1/23/06

 

 

Here are three early exchanges that I had with people while I was leafleting the Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz Concert early:

 

#1: One woman said that she got a pamphlet from me at the last concert, that it really disturbed her, and that she would like more information. I gave her a GCFE....

 

Full post on-line.

 

-Eugene Khutoryansky, Houston, TX, 1/24/06

 

 

You can see previous issues of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter on-line.

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

The latest:

 

Vegan Outreach eNewsletter

February 8, 2006

 

Links and images at

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20060208.html

 

The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance, and even our very existence depends on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to our lives.

-Albert Einstein

 

 

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

Just Imagine -- 500,000+ and Counting

 

Activists in the Adopt a College program have now handed booklets to over half a million interested students! Over 45,000 have already been distributed in just the first few weeks of the winter/spring term. Thanks so much to the many hard-working volunteers, and all the generous donors who have enabled us to print and ship all these booklets.

 

At right, a student at UNC Charlotte reads Even If You Like Meat; photo by Jon Camp.

 

 

Jon Camp's Second Week in the South

 

Heading south from the Triangle Region of North Carolina, the second week of my southern leafleting tour was without a doubt, one of the most effective weeks of outreach in which I've ever taken part. With the help of extremely dedicated volunteers -- including Eric Griffith and Wendy Moore, both who took off days of work to help out -- a total of 7,212 booklets were handed out at UNC Charlotte, GA Tech, GA State, UGA, and Clemson. At every school we leafleted, it was obvious that the booklets had made a definite impact on the students -- it was common to see many of them walking around with their eyes glued to a booklet they had received hours before. Just one example: at the University of Georgia, a young woman came up to tell me that she has been vegetarian since receiving an Even If You Like Meat on campus months earlier.

 

Next week, I will be leafleting UT San Antonio, UT in Austin, Texas State, Texas A&M, and the University of Houston. If you would like to leaflet with me, or would like for me to give a talk to your local group, please email jon (at) veganoutreach.org. Thanks!

 

 

Please -- Plan Ahead

 

Every year, we get calls and e-mails the day before Meatout and Earth Day from people who need booklets the next day. Please visit our catalog and order what you need today -- thanks!

 

 

Question of the Week

 

Does being a vegetarian really save animals?

 

 

Products of the Week

 

Matt R. passes along: "Made from those who bring you Veggie Booty - Tings - vegan crunchy 'cheese' doodles taste just like the real thing! Also - Westsoy's Soy Shakes are amazing! Put it in a blender with some Soy Delicious' Chunky Mint Madness, and you're in for a real thick treat. Best thing ever on my tastebuds."

 

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to product (at) veganoutreach.org; previous products can be found here.

 

 

 

Notes from Our Members

 

At McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Wendy, Mike and I handed out 800 EI in 2 hrs! The reception was great and we had some really good conversations and met a lot of vegans and vegetarians. This all ended when we were kicked out by the "peace police." However, we only had 20 booklets left and we managed to hand them out as we left the premises. On the way home, we were passed by a transport truck full of pigs. They looked just like my "pet" pig named Willa. We realized how important today was, and we look forward to our next stop.

-Misha Buob, 1/31/06

 

I've read through [Jack Norris'] "Staying Healthy on a Plant-Based Diet," and I am impressed with how thorough your research is, along with how useful and unbiased it is. I've read through many articles, looked through many books, and have heard a lot of talks, but I haven't come across anything as resourceful and honest. You base your research of factual things, and none of your information seems to be slanted.

I also enjoyed reading your opinion, as well as Matt Ball's, on what 'veganism' means. I think that you are both taking the right approach, and I am pleased to hear what both of you think about the issue of "personal purity" vs. actually trying to reduce the suffering of others. I think that sheds a better light on the situation, rather than going by points based on self-purity. Both of your ideas touch on the true meaning of what I believe veganism is all about.

-JV, 1/27/06

 

I'm planning to run in an ultra-marathon (50 miles) in Spring or Fall '07...The ultra-marathon will be run to raise money for Vegan Outreach. A colleague at the Youngstown State University radio station ran an ultra-marathon to raise money for the radio station. He raised over $20,000! I'm going to follow his program for raising money, and see if I can at least raise $1,000. I couldn't think of any other cause, or any other organization, more worthy than Vegan Outreach!

-Dan Kuzma, 1/26/06

 

If any of you have the opportunity to go leafleting with Jon Camp when he comes through your area, I highly recommend the experience. It is inspiring and motivating to be around someone who works so hard for animals every day. I had many great interactions; here are just a few from our last day, at Clemson:

One guy I leafleted accepted a booklet, and then 15 seconds later returned and said "I have to give this back to you," in a disapproving tone. But fifteen minutes later, he came back and said he'd changed his mind, and requested a booklet.

I gave a booklet to a girl who returned about a half hour later. I noticed her hovering 20 or so feet away while I was leafleting passersby. When there was a lull, she told me that one of her friends has been thinking a lot about farmed animals and veg eating, so I sent along an EI and GCFE for her.

As I was preparing to leave, a guy came out of a nearby building and tracked me down. He said he'd seen other people reading the booklet and could he please get one. Which reminds me of a girl at Georgia State who came along and said she was wondering where everybody was getting those booklets, asked for an EI and said "I need one of those!'

-Eric Griffith, 2/5/06

 

Correction: Last week, we mistakenly titled as "Humane Certified" the link to the "Animal Care Certified" scam. "Certified Humane" is a different program. To learn what is and isn't allowed under Certified Humane, you can register on-line and see the relevant documents.

 

You can see previous issues of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter on-line.

[robert]

The latest:

 

E-Newsletter, Feb. 15, 2006

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

New Printing of EIYLM

So far in 2006, distribution of literature has proceeded at a record pace. During the coldest month of the year, Adopt a College activists passed out nearly 60,000 booklets; the number of people who have distributed more than 1,000 this term is already into double-digits!

Vegan Outreach is starting to gear up for the next printing of Even If You Like Meat. Canadians might be glad to know that we will also be doing a Canadian version at that time.

If you are interested in sponsoring a run with your group's logo on the back, contact Jack -- jack (at) veganoutreach.org -- for details.

Please consider making a special, tax-deductible donation to help print and distribute more booklets! See http://veganoutreach.org/about/donate.html site for various options. Thanks!

 

 

Jon Camp's Third Week in the South

Heading southeast from Georgia, week 3 of my southern tour was, like previous weeks, a highly effective one. With the help of Monica Ferroe, a dedicated activist out of New Orleans who took off three days of work to help me, a total of 4,528 booklets were handed out to students of Auburn, Southeastern Louisiana, Louisiana State, U of New Orleans, Tulane, and U of Louisiana at Lafayette. Like during previous weeks, I was heartened to have student after student come up to let me know that they were sincerely moved by the booklet. I also reached out to the vegetarians I met with information on getting active for the animals.

Next week, I will be leafleting Stephen Austin State U, LA Tech, U of LA at Monroe, Mississippi State, and U of AL. If you would like to help leaflet with me, or if you would like me to give a talk to your local group, please email jon (at) veganoutreach.org. Thanks!

 

 

Shop to Save Animals

Looking to buy something? Start here! Your purchase can help print and distribute more booklets!

 

 

E-mail Changes Possible

From vegan.com, AOL, Yahoo, and Goodmail are exploring possible schemes to tax e-mail, which might keep Vegan Outreach's eNewsletter from reaching you. You can always read past issues at http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/

 

 

Question of the Week

"Would you please explain how indigenous people could have survived if they had not eaten meat?"

Vegan Outreach has only one purpose -- to lessen the amount of suffering in the world. Nothing else matters: not what people have done in the past, not what others are doing now. Each one of us is extremely fortunate that we can choose not to support cruelty to animals by choosing vegetarian!

 

 

Products of the Week

Carrie Hill nominates: "Tofurky's sausages -- yes, they are vegan and awesome!! My favorite is the sun dried tomato. They are great in a stir fry with broccoli, onions, mushrooms and peppers, or over spaghetti noodles! They are also low carb and a great source of protein."

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to product (at) veganoutreach.org; previous products can be found on-line.

 

 

 

Notes from Our Members

 

I leafleted after work yesterday and today. Yesterday, a student and I were talking about how Corretta Scott King was vegan. When I gave him a GCFE, he replied "This is exactly what I needed: how to go vegan." Another student told me today that he read the pamphlet yesterday, that he had no idea this was going on, and that it just isn't right. He said he was going to write to the president of the University asking what can be done about this. I gave him a GCFE.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, 2/9/06

 

Just to follow up on what Eric said last week: I, too, had a great time in North Carolina leafleting with Jon Camp, but what struck me the most is where we are going in this social justice movement. We have a lot of potential tools in our belt (social justice, compassion, environmental, health, comparing the dynamic of oppression to other movements), and we have two options -- unleash all of it on the public and hope something good comes out of it, or use what we have in a strategic fashion and push animal advocacy in the "right" direction. Vegan Outreach is the latter, having the foresight not only to make an engaging new brochure, Even If You Like Meat, but also something that tries to make one of veganism biggest negatives -- that is seems to be a drastic change -- into a positive.

With the opportunity to pass out EI on a 5-day college tour, I was truly struck by what a powerful tool we are using. It was so inspiring to see people walking around campus reading it, sitting down and pouring over it, and passing it to their friends. When I saw people slowing down and taking time from their busy day to accept and read the brochure, telling us that they received it last time Jon was passing it out and became veg -- well, I am proud to volunteer with this group. My expectations were not only met, but far exceeded because of the response we got.

-Aashish Bhimani, 2/12/06

 

Today, I handed out 304 EIs at City College of San Francisco, and 150 at College of San Mateo. At one point, I overheard a girl say to her friends, "I got that last semester. I told my friends about it and they don't eat meat anymore."

-Suzanne Haws, 2/7/06

 

You can see previous issues of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter at http://www.veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/index.html .

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

[robert]

The latest:

 

E-Newsletter, Feb. 22, 2006

 

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20060222.html

 

 

After a couple of years distributing Vegan Outreach booklets at the University of Victoria, including a few thousand last term, I saw some of the results of these efforts today. A surprisingly large number of students told me that they were already vegan, vegetarian or "with me." Many told me how appreciative they are that I was handing out booklets, including one fellow on a bike who turned around to come back and shake my hand.

The most touching moment, however, was when a student, to whom I had earlier given a Why Vegan?, came up to me with a lump in her throat, and tears in her eyes. We had a pleasant conversation and talked about where to shop. I will remember those couple of minutes for a long time.

-John Bowers, 2/13/06

 

 

Notes from Vegan Outreach

 

For Your Consideration

Last week, we mentioned that literature distribution in 2006 is proceeding at a record pace -- over 150,000 so far -- and we will very soon need to do another printing of Even If You Like Meat....

The number of booklets we can print and distribute depends on your support. The more tax-deductible donations Vegan Outreach receives, the more booklets can be printed, lowering the per-piece cost.

Please remember, every single day, members of Vegan Outreach are reaching out to thousands of new people, being the animals' voice, and helping to bring about a more compassionate and just world.

Please, if you can, help expose the animals' plight, and help more people make informed, cruelty-fee choices.

 

You can donate securely on-line here, or send a check or money order to:

 

Vegan Outreach | P.O. Box 38492 | Pittsburgh, PA 15238-8492

 

 

Jon Camp's Fourth Week in the South

Week 4 of my southern tour had me stationed in Texas -- what absolutely wonderful leafleting turf! With the help of volunteers, a total of 7,441 booklets were handed to students of U TX San Antonio, TX State, U TX in Austin, TX A & M, and U of Houston. As most of the colleges that I leafleted had not been hit with vegetarian advocacy in years (if ever), it was great to reach out to students left in the dark about what today's farmed animals endure. It was also especially heartening to meet vegetarian after vegetarian in regions not necessarily reputed for espousing kindness to farmed animals. Most surprising to me was the amount of positive feedback I received while at TX A & M, a school known as a stronghold for teaching animal agribusiness. While I had minor fears upon entering the school, I ended up handing out 1,700 Even If You Like Meat booklets -- a personal best for me -- to interested students. The bottom line? At literally every college, there are scores of students

interested in reducing farmed animal suffering.

Next week I will be leafleting Middle TN State U, Vanderbilt, Western KY U, U of Louisville, U of KY, and West Virginia U. If you would like to help leaflet with me, or if you would like me to give a talk to your local group, please email jon (at) veganoutreach.org. Thanks so much!

 

 

Follow-up to "Why Not Change the Laws?"

Matthew Scully, author of Dominion, points out in the AZ Republic: "Arizona voters will be asked this fall to weigh in on a ballot measure called the Humane Treatment of Farm Animals Act ... [which] would prohibit the factory-farming practice of confining pigs and veal calves in crates so small that the animals cannot even turn around or extend their limbs...."

"Just this month, the industry's allies in the Arizona Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment to bar the public from passing any laws promoting the humane treatment of farm animals, effective Jan. 1, 2006. Nice to have a fallback position: Even if the humane-farming initiative passes by vote of the people, as industry lobbyists apparently fear it will, they plan to nullify the law retroactively." Full article on-line (free one-time registration required).

 

 

Product of the Week

Tammy wonders "If it's okay to promote a product from a megacorp like Safeway, I'd like to nominate the O Organic Black Bean Enchilada -- an organic and vegan version with nutritional yeast!"

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to product (at) veganoutreach.org; previous products can be found here.

 

Notes from Our Members

Your single pamphlet got me to be 100% vegetarian, and now I want to spread what I have learned. Thanks a lot!

-AP, Kalamazoo, MI, 2/15/06

 

I got your pamphlet at school. I'm sooo not eating meat or eggs.

-JB, San Jose, CA , 2/9/06

 

Between 10 and 5 today, I distributed 907 booklets at Northern Illinois University, and an additional 5 and 5 to 2 different students who wanted to share them with friends. Around 8 people stated that they were vegetarian and 2 vegan. 2 people expressed their gratitude that I was doing this. A student who runs a morning show on the college radio stopped after getting a booklet to ask me to be on the show to speak on the topic. The school newspaper also sent a photographer to catch me in action. Another student also took photos and info from me for a class project.

-Joe Espinosa, 2/8/06

This weekend, I leafleted at the NBA All Star game. Just as I got my pamphlets into position and opened my boxes, one of the guys selling paraphernalia told me that he is a vegan, and he eagerly took a Why Vegan and a GCFE. Later, another guy working at the arena told me that he got a pamphlet from me at the University of Houston, and that he is still a vegetarian; I gave him a GCFE.

It was cold, so tonight a lot of people were wearing fur coats, but this didn't stop any of them from taking Why Vegans from me.

One person saw me leafleting and asked me if I was spreading the word of Jesus. I replied, "Nope." He took a Why Vegan, looked through it, and then told me that I WAS spreading the word of Jesus, just indirectly.

A lot of people told me that they were already vegetarian or vegan, and asked me for more pamphlets. It's not what you might expect from a basketball game, but it just goes to show how much inroads we are making with the general population.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, 2/20/06

 

You can see previous issues of Vegan Outreach's e-newsletter on-line.

 

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

VO is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.