Vegan Outreach Newsletter

While tabling for VO at the AR2006 conference in the DC region this last weekend, it was extremely heartening to come across numerous individuals who mentioned receiving a Vegan Outreach booklet as the catalyst that got them to go vegan and get active for the animals.

VO's budget is but a tiny fraction of a percentage point of the overall animal advocacy budget, yet I continue to see firsthand that we are making big, tangible inroads. Thank you so much to all of you who invest your money and time in our outreach efforts. We'll continue to give our most thoughtful best to ensure that it goes as far for the animals as possible.

-Jon Camp

Jon will also be at Taking Action for Animals next month.

Product of the Week

Matt Ball jumps to the front of the line of products to plug Vegan Sweets Chocolate Spread. "Pass this along to anyone who thinks vegan sweets aren't great!"

Speaking of sweets, Meredith MacCracken adds: "I love the new organic frozen rice cream desserts by Good Karma. Try the Carrot Cake -- yum! Available at Trader Joe's."

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

Notes from All Over

Veggie Awards Open for Voting

VegNews Magazine is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2006 Veggie Awards, the world's largest survey of veg people, products and places. Last year, more than 10,000 readers cast their vote, and this year they expect that number to reach 15,000. You can vote on-line.

Ramsay Reduced to Tears as Pigs Go under Knife

Via DawnWatch: "Looking pale and shaken, the Glaswegian chef sees the 24-month-old pigs stunned by an electric shock to the brain, before being shackled by the hind legs and hoisted to the ceiling. Their throats are then unceremoniously slit. Ramsay's grisly ordeal does not end there. During the sequence -- which will go out after the 9pm watershed -- the dead pigs begin 'gurgling' as blood pours out of their bodies, and kicking due to an apparent nervous reaction."

Notes from Our Members

I received one of your pamphlets at the Warped Tour. It really opened my eyes to the horrible things these poor creatures endure, simply because they cannot defend themselves against the cruelty of man. I fully support your cause.

-VO, Sag Harbor, NY, 8/11/06

I handed out about 1,600 Why Vegans at the Galleria mall yesterday and today. Yesterday I met a man who knew people who had worked at slaughterhouses. He told me about an accident when a worker cut his arm off, and his blood sprayed all over the meat. According to the rules, this meat is contaminated and must be thrown away. But, they let it continue down the assembly line without stopping it. He also told me stories about how sometimes the cows slip off their chains, and get loose and run around the slaughterhouse. His only complaint about the Why Vegan pamphlet is that it was not thorough enough. I told him that there is only so much information you can squeeze into a short pamphlet, but I showed him a GCFE, which he eagerly took. He also asked for an extra Why Vegan to show to his brother-in-law who works in agriculture.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, 8/13/06

I used to be against this kind of advocacy, but you present it in a fashion that is neither degrading nor pushy on non-vegans. I find that deserving of respect and I thank you for the proper flyers to share with people.

-BS, Prince Albert, SK, 8/13/06

I've been distributing Why Vegan for years in the Portland, OR area, and received amazing feedback when I left a contact number on the back. Recently, my neighbor Roy, who is 80 years old and vegan now, has been leaving Why Vegan pamphlets on our Max trains too; last week someone actually came into the In Defense of Animals office and said it changed his life, and another fellow called the IDA office to say that it changed HIS life! Think how many people have read these pamphlets over the years, and who didn't say anything but became vegan anyway? Could that be the reason Portland, OR is the Most Vegan-Friendly City in the United States?

-Vegan Syd, 8/9/06

Why Vegan convinced me to go vegan six years ago! Thanks so much and keep up the great work.

-Dave, via MySpace, 8/8/06

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

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robert · August 23, 2006

E-Newsletter, Aug. 23, 2006 http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20060823.html

robert · August 31, 2006

E-Newsletter, Aug. 30, 2006 http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20060830.html

robert · September 6, 2006

September 6

Notes from Vegan Outreach

Beyond Adopt a College

Adopt a College activists are back in the swing of things. But most copies of Why Vegan, Even If You Like Meat, and Try Vegetarian are distributed in other ways: from stocking displays at natural food stores, libraries, at work, etc., to handing them out to friends, to tabling at concerts. There are many different ways that you, too, can take the animals' case to new people!

For example, World Farm Animals Day is right around the corner -- October 2! If you are going take part in this, or want to pursue another form of outreach, you can order from our catalog today. Thanks!

Product of the Week

Diane in Canada: "I've just discovered Tofutti sour cream substitute, absolutely delicious!"

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

Notes from All Over

More on Kids and Veganism

Last week, we introduced the page of Real Vegan Children. Since then, there was a news story: Vegetarianism Is Healthy Exploration for Teens, which starts, "For Whitney Belaski, the decision to become a vegetarian was an ethical one."

Also, Harvard Graduate School of Education published a paper: Why Do Young Children Choose to Become Vegetarians?, which points out: "As with Alejandra, for most children Hussar studied, the decision has more to do with morals than with personal choice. This is contrary to the theories of famed psychologists Lawrence Kohlberg and Jean Piaget -- both pioneers in moral development -- that children aren't capable of making independent moral decisions at this age."

Finally, here is an essay from a lifetime vegan, about growing up in a meat-eating society.

Welfare and Liberation

With Satya's new issue, the question of how the state of animals in our society will advance is back in discussion. This earlier article presented one Vegan Outreach view. Erik Marcus discusses welfare and liberation in part of a recent episode of the Diner; and Peter Singer and Bruce Friedrich offer a somewhat different perspective, with their combined many decades of campaigns and working for the animals.

Notes from Our Members

At Cal State, Long Beach, I handed out 2,540 EI* and some GCFEs and AMLs.

Merlin, my German Shepherd companion, died on Wed. Thus, I am dedicating this semester's leafleting to him. Today, feeling him with me, I was calm, kind, and soft-spoken, yet a formidable presence. One sample exchange:

Him, taking a leaflet: "I like steak."

Me: "You like snakes. How cool!"

-Stewart Solomon, 9/1/06

*Note -- 2,540 is a new Adopt A College program record for handing out pamphlets at a college in one day.

At Florida International U., I quickly handed out 150 booklets. Some guy totally made my day when he came up to me and said that I gave him one a couple of years ago and he has been vegetarian ever since. He said he loved the way the VO literature just logically touches on all the reasons why it makes sense to go veg. He took some contact info because he said he would like to get involved in local activities.

-Linda Bower, 9/1/06

I got a brochure when I was leaving college today. I read it and started crying right away. I love animals, and I do eat meat. After seeing this brochure and watching some of the clips and info on this site, I will never eat meat again! I would love to give a brochure to everyone in my town.

-SV, Northfield, MN, 8/31/06

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robert · September 22, 2006

http://veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/20060920.html

robert · October 11, 2006

Until today, I had been skeptical of the Even If booklet. I didn't know if it was powerful enough to make a difference. However, after leafleting using the EIs for just a few hours, I realized how accessible they are. I felt comfortable handing them to anyone, even the guy eating a hot dog, because it's something to which most people can relate -- liking the taste of meat, and wanting to reduce animal suffering. I think people are more likely to read this booklet and actually feel like there's something they, personally, can do.

Leafleting is by far the most effective and efficient form of animal advocacy out there; it's the benchmark by which we should be judging animal activism: "Is this action as effective as if I had spent the same amount of effort leafleting?"

-John A, after leafleting for the first time with Jenna Calabrese, 10/6/06

On Monday, AAC activists over 7,000 booklets were distributed on campuses across the country.

Notes from Vegan Outreach

E-mail Note

If you would no longer like to receive the Vegan Outreach eNewsletter, simply follow the link at the bottom of this e-mail. Marking these e-mails as unwanted "spam" causes some ISPs to block it for everyone. If you find this e-mail filtered to a "bulk" folder, please let your ISP know it is not "spam," and place "enewsletter (at) veganoutreach (dot) org" in your approved whitelist.

Some people send out batches of garbage "spam" with a forged, spoofed Vegan Outreach e-mail address. This leads to Vegan Outreach being marked as a "bad" domain, and leads to a flood of bounced and angry messages arriving at the VO office. It is possible that legitimate e-mails get lost in this; feel free to contact us again if you don't receive a response to your initial communication. Thanks!

Newsletter

Our annual print newsletter will be going out in a few weeks. If you have moved recently or would like to receive a copy, please e-mail us (newsletter (at) veganoutreach (dot) org) with your current address. Thanks!

Products of the Week

Professor Laura Dilley: "My nomination is for Celestial Seasonings' Tea Dreams frozen dessert with Rice Dream in Imperial White Peach flavor. It is entirely vegan but tastes like cheesecake and is unbelievably delicious."

For best sandwich, Caryn in Texas: "I nominate Boca's Original Burger served on a sprouted grain bun (Ezekiel Bread by Food For Life) with melted vegan soy cheese, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach and avocado. Yum! It's an easy, quick week night meal my family enjoys, especially the kids!"

Gentleman Jack has this advice:

Looking for a fast, yet delicious meal on the go?

-Can of vegetable soup

-Macaroni or other pasta noodles as desired (already cooked)

-Canned beans of choice (about 1/4 Cup)

-Olive oil, if desired, to taste (especially for fat-free soups)

Don Pomodoro vegetable soups are available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and are amazing, but the above "recipe" can be used with any vegetable soup.

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

Notes from Our Members

While leafleting tonite, I met a guy who had worked on filming a chicken commercial. He told me that the filming was done at the rendering plant itself, but the only part that they filmed was the last section of the plant, where the chickens come out in neat plastic packages. He explained how they didn't film the other rooms, such as where the chickens heads are cut off. He said that after filming that commercial, he wasn't able to eat chicken for a while. He also said that it was terrible that people don't know how badly the animals are treated, and how their entire lives are so miserable. After our conversation, his girlfriend took a GCFE with them.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, 10/7/06

I received an amazing email from a former student at my school: "While I was at school about two years ago, I came across a table the Hamilton Vegetarian Association had set up at school and picked up a flyer called Why Vegan? That one flyer has had such a big impact on my life. I've since become vegetarian. I just wanted to thank you and the other members and let you know that your efforts have touched people and changed lives."

-c/o Margi Ende, 10/7/06

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending me the lit that I requested for a brand new AR org here on the coast of NC. Your Even if you like Meat brochures flew out of my hands and was eagerly scooped up by those who would not take the time for a veg brochure. More than that, I read Matt's thoughts on animal advocacy and was so grateful to hear him discussing the stereotypical angry activist, and how we must become more compassionate in order to truly teach compassion. We all go through that angry stage, but understanding that it closes more doors than it opens is an epiphany that more of us advocating for animals need to have, especially in less progressive towns such as the one that I am temporarily stuck in! Thank you, Vegan Outreach, for keeping your eyes on the activities that equal maximum benefit for the animals that suffer so.

-Cara S, Morehead City, NC, 10/4/06

The leafleting at John Jay College of Criminal Justice was absolutely perfect. Even as I stopped to get water or answer my phone, students would WAIT for me to collect myself and give them a leaflet. I had so many great conversations with students, many very supportive or already vegetarian, and I am thrilled to know that these are our future lawyers, judges, and law enforcement officials.

Some awesome exchanges for the day:

Jenna: Brochure to help animals?

Student A: Oh, yeah, I saw this earlier. What can we do?

Jenna: Well, you can cut back on the number of animal-based foods in your diet. Try eating vegetarian one meal a day, or one full day per week.

Student A: That's a good idea... maybe I'll cook a vegetarian dinner for my family tonight!

Jenna: (gives the student a GCFE) Here are some recipes to get you started!

Student A: Awesome, thanks.

Jenna: Brochure against animal cruelty?

Students B & C: We're already vegetarian!

Students D & E: (Taking EIs) We're not.

Jenna: You all should go to a vegetarian restaurant together! There are so many good ones here in NYC.

Students D & E: (Looking at the brochure) Oh my god!

Student D: (to B & C) I see why you guys don't eat this stuff.

-Jenna Calabrese (at right), 10/4/06

robert · October 11, 2006

Until today, I had been skeptical of the Even If booklet. I didn't know if it was powerful enough to make a difference. However, after leafleting using the EIs for just a few hours, I realized how accessible they are. I felt comfortable handing them to anyone, even the guy eating a hot dog, because it's something to which most people can relate -- liking the taste of meat, and wanting to reduce animal suffering. I think people are more likely to read this booklet and actually feel like there's something they, personally, can do.

Leafleting is by far the most effective and efficient form of animal advocacy out there; it's the benchmark by which we should be judging animal activism: "Is this action as effective as if I had spent the same amount of effort leafleting?"

-John A, after leafleting for the first time with Jenna Calabrese, 10/6/06

On Monday, AAC activists over 7,000 booklets were distributed on campuses across the country.

Notes from Vegan Outreach

E-mail Note

If you would no longer like to receive the Vegan Outreach eNewsletter, simply follow the link at the bottom of this e-mail. Marking these e-mails as unwanted "spam" causes some ISPs to block it for everyone. If you find this e-mail filtered to a "bulk" folder, please let your ISP know it is not "spam," and place "enewsletter (at) veganoutreach (dot) org" in your approved whitelist.

Some people send out batches of garbage "spam" with a forged, spoofed Vegan Outreach e-mail address. This leads to Vegan Outreach being marked as a "bad" domain, and leads to a flood of bounced and angry messages arriving at the VO office. It is possible that legitimate e-mails get lost in this; feel free to contact us again if you don't receive a response to your initial communication. Thanks!

Newsletter

Our annual print newsletter will be going out in a few weeks. If you have moved recently or would like to receive a copy, please e-mail us (newsletter (at) veganoutreach (dot) org) with your current address. Thanks!

Products of the Week

Professor Laura Dilley: "My nomination is for Celestial Seasonings' Tea Dreams frozen dessert with Rice Dream in Imperial White Peach flavor. It is entirely vegan but tastes like cheesecake and is unbelievably delicious."

For best sandwich, Caryn in Texas: "I nominate Boca's Original Burger served on a sprouted grain bun (Ezekiel Bread by Food For Life) with melted vegan soy cheese, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach and avocado. Yum! It's an easy, quick week night meal my family enjoys, especially the kids!"

Gentleman Jack has this advice:

Looking for a fast, yet delicious meal on the go?

-Can of vegetable soup

-Macaroni or other pasta noodles as desired (already cooked)

-Canned beans of choice (about 1/4 Cup)

-Olive oil, if desired, to taste (especially for fat-free soups)

Don Pomodoro vegetable soups are available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and are amazing, but the above "recipe" can be used with any vegetable soup.

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

Notes from Our Members

While leafleting tonite, I met a guy who had worked on filming a chicken commercial. He told me that the filming was done at the rendering plant itself, but the only part that they filmed was the last section of the plant, where the chickens come out in neat plastic packages. He explained how they didn't film the other rooms, such as where the chickens heads are cut off. He said that after filming that commercial, he wasn't able to eat chicken for a while. He also said that it was terrible that people don't know how badly the animals are treated, and how their entire lives are so miserable. After our conversation, his girlfriend took a GCFE with them.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, 10/7/06

I received an amazing email from a former student at my school: "While I was at school about two years ago, I came across a table the Hamilton Vegetarian Association had set up at school and picked up a flyer called Why Vegan? That one flyer has had such a big impact on my life. I've since become vegetarian. I just wanted to thank you and the other members and let you know that your efforts have touched people and changed lives."

-c/o Margi Ende, 10/7/06

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending me the lit that I requested for a brand new AR org here on the coast of NC. Your Even if you like Meat brochures flew out of my hands and was eagerly scooped up by those who would not take the time for a veg brochure. More than that, I read Matt's thoughts on animal advocacy and was so grateful to hear him discussing the stereotypical angry activist, and how we must become more compassionate in order to truly teach compassion. We all go through that angry stage, but understanding that it closes more doors than it opens is an epiphany that more of us advocating for animals need to have, especially in less progressive towns such as the one that I am temporarily stuck in! Thank you, Vegan Outreach, for keeping your eyes on the activities that equal maximum benefit for the animals that suffer so.

-Cara S, Morehead City, NC, 10/4/06

The leafleting at John Jay College of Criminal Justice was absolutely perfect. Even as I stopped to get water or answer my phone, students would WAIT for me to collect myself and give them a leaflet. I had so many great conversations with students, many very supportive or already vegetarian, and I am thrilled to know that these are our future lawyers, judges, and law enforcement officials.

Some awesome exchanges for the day:

Jenna: Brochure to help animals?

Student A: Oh, yeah, I saw this earlier. What can we do?

Jenna: Well, you can cut back on the number of animal-based foods in your diet. Try eating vegetarian one meal a day, or one full day per week.

Student A: That's a good idea... maybe I'll cook a vegetarian dinner for my family tonight!

Jenna: (gives the student a GCFE) Here are some recipes to get you started!

Student A: Awesome, thanks.

Jenna: Brochure against animal cruelty?

Students B & C: We're already vegetarian!

Students D & E: (Taking EIs) We're not.

Jenna: You all should go to a vegetarian restaurant together! There are so many good ones here in NYC.

Students D & E: (Looking at the brochure) Oh my god!

Student D: (to B & C) I see why you guys don't eat this stuff.

-Jenna Calabrese (at right), 10/4/06

robert · October 19, 2006

Pretty inspiring:

E-Newsletter, Oct. 18, 2006 This issue is sponsored by www.DownBound.com

Notes from Vegan Outreach

Massive Distribution

Last week's 50+ reported events for M-F (Oct. 9-13) totaled over 30,000 booklets (see the VO front page for details). To date, the Adopt a College activists have handed well in excess of 800,000 booklets directly to students, and are closing in on 160,000 for the Fall term.

Overall distribution for 2006 has passed 985,000 booklets -- nearly at the million-booklet mark for the year! Thanks so much to everyone who has donated to print and ship these booklets, and to everyone working so hard to reach thousands and thousands of new people every day!

Note from Jon Camp

After being on the road for 35 days, I'm now home. With the help of others, a total of 26,407 booklets were handed to students at 33 different schools in the northeast US and Canada. I'd like to give a huge thanks to everyone who helped leaflet and who graciously gave me a place to stay. I'm in my third year of touring, and, thanks to you, haven't yet had to use one penny of VO's money for housing. This makes the tours much more economically viable and allows more time and resources to go to getting out and leafletting!

I'd also like to thank those of you who use your occupation to help bring about an immensely more compassionate world by supporting VO financially. None of this is taken for granted. Your support is greatly appreciated, and I always keep in mind your generosity and commitment to the animals while doing this work.

Editor note: Throughout the first three weeks of November, Jon will be leafleting schools in western NC, KY, TN, and OH. He needs places to stay in the following regions: Asheville, NC; Johnson City, TN; Knoxville, TN; Dayton, OH; Columbus, OH; Athens, OH. If you would be willing to house him for 1 - 3 nights, this would help ensure that he reaches as many college students as possible with the plight of today's farmed animals. If interested, please email jon (at) veganoutreach (dot) org. Thanks so much!

Note from Victor Tsou

If my calculations (and Vegan Outreach's estimates) are correct, the lives of one million animals have been saved as of today [10/3] by students impacted by EIs received during my current leafleting tour. This milestone is dedicated to Erik Marcus, who inspired me to get involved with his statement many years ago, "If you go vegan, you can save thousands of lives. If you become an activist, you can save millions of lives." Whether it's 1,000,000 lives, 100,000 lives, or 1,000 lives, I am grateful for the precious opportunity to engage in this activity as I try to live "A Meaningful Life."

Note: as of 10/13, Victor has handed out over 30,000 booklets this term. You can follow the progress of Jon, Victor, and other activists at our front page.

Products of the Week

Gentleman Jack Norris is back with a plug for wheat-free cookies: "Allergic to wheat? Sunflour Baking Company, long supporters of vegan causes, is now carrying a wide variety of high protein, wheat-free cookies and bars. Check 'em out! (Free shipping with $15 order.)"

In a nomination seconded by the VO Headquarters, Sheila from Michigan offers: "I would have to say Soy Delicious' Purely Decadent Peanut Butter Zig Zag. If I didn't know better, I'd swear it wasn't vegan!"

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

Notes from All Over

Food, Ethics, and the Environment

On Nov. 16 & 17, this conference will be held at Princeton University. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, and Peter Singer will headline an all-star cast; VO's Matt Ball and Ellen Green will also be in attendance. Seating is limited; for free registration and for further information please go to: princeton.edu/~eating.

Notes from Our Members

At the University of Wisconsin at Madison today, I handed out 666 WV, 8 GCFE, and 1 AML. One person in particular left me with hope, as he was out registering people to vote for several hours while I was leafleting. He came over early on to get booklets so he could share them with people he knew. During the eighth hour he came over to say that he was done with his work for the day but wanted to know how he might get involved in leafleting. He got the AML and a GCFE. He let me know that he had been vegan for a number of years, then just stopped about 3 years ago, but upon getting a booklet from me on the campus in the past, went back to being vegan.

-Joe Espinosa, 10/11/06

We received "A Meaningful Life" about 6 months ago, and have found it EXTREMELY helpful in learning how to explain these issues to other people (simply put: veganism/ vegetarianism prevents suffering, and that is the reason for doing it), and in being productive in helping animals, even though we are sad about their suffering.

-Melanie & Peter, 10/8/06

I was at my local Starbucks where I found the pamphlet entitled Even If You Like Meat. As a self-proclaimed animal-loving omnivore, I was prompted to read it. I was really impressed with the even-handed approach that was used to present the topics. People who eat meat were not belittled and painted as less evolved. There were some great middle-of-the-road approaches to decreasing animal cruelty on factory farms. And I really thought it was a good appeal to meat-eaters. I for one will try to think of a few more plant-based recipes for my family.

-JS, 10/3/06

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

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

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

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

robert · October 26, 2006

E-Newsletter, Oct. 25, 2006

http://tinyurl.com/yyptzm

One Million Booklets

Last week it happened:

Vegan Outreach has passed 1,000,000 booklets for 2006!

For a while now, I've tried to figure out some way to express the magnitude of this achievement, and yet I've failed to come up with anything adequate.

I know we face a huge task ahead of us -- literally to change the world at a fundamental level -- but from my perspective, starting when I met my vegetarian roommate freshman year 20 years ago, the speed and breadth of the journey to date has been truly remarkable.

Back then, very little animal advocacy movement in the U.S. was focused on farm animals. There wasn't even a color brochure for the purpose of spreading vegetarianism (see the article "VO's Influences and History" at our website).

Eleven years ago, we were still hand-collating, stapling, and folding a batch of 10,000 black and white booklets. It took Vegan Outreach more than six years (from when we started counting in 1994 until mid-2000) to distribute the first million booklets.

Now there are single days when activists hand out 7, 8, and even 9,000 booklets. With 2 months left in the year, we have sent out over a million booklets (2005's total was 863,604; 2004's was 620,542). Adopt a College activists have already given brochures to over 200,000 students in the Fall term!

Overall distribution has now passed 5,000,000 brochures!

One thing hasn't changed, though. Back then, Vegan Outreach was dependent on donations from a small group of thoughtful donors who believed in honest, person-to-person grassroots education.

This is still the case. We have no high-profile animals or individual cases of cruelty to highlight, no prospect for any immediate "victory." So we are extremely grateful to the relative handful of people who believe in the reasoning behind Vegan Outreach, who are out there doing the day-to-day outreach, and who are willing to donate to print and distribute ever more booklets.

We've always said that your donations lead to more booklets reaching more new people, and this year proves it yet again!

Again, I know how very far we have to go. But as I look back 20 years, it is truly amazing how far we've come, in terms of emphasis, focus, tactics, numbers, recognition, awareness, and options.

Progress will continue to be uneven, and our efforts will be filled with frustrations, but there is no doubt that we are bending the arc of history towards justice.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone!

-Matt Ball

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

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

VO

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

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

robert · November 2, 2006

E-Newsletter, Nov. 1, 2006 Last Friday, I finished up what has probably been the most important activism of my life. Fellow CAA volunteer Karl Noyes and I just completed a two-week trip, the Midwest Leafleting Tour, leafleting at colleges and universities across the region. In total we passed out copies of Even If You Like Meat pamphlet to over 11,000 individual students!

-Ben Acaso

Read entire write-up and see pictures on-line!

Notes from Vegan Outreach

Jon Back on Tour -- Look for Him!

Jon Camp is in the midst of week 1 of a 4 week leafleting tour through western NC, TN, KY, and southern OH. If you would like to leaflet with him or if you would like for him to give a talk to your local group, please email jon (at) veganoutreach (dot) org. Thanks!

Newsletter Available

Can't wait for the mail? Download a pdf of the current (and/or past) issue on-line.

Products of the Week

A. Leamen: "Living Harvest Hemp Protein in chocolate chili: It's organic, vegan, and soy & gluten free. It tastes great mixed with vanilla rice milk."

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

Notes from All Over

Diner on Flax, VO, Environment, Vegan Lunchbox

In the latest edition of the Diner at vegan.com, Erik Marcus covers a variety of topics, including a criticism of Vegan Outreach's paper use.

Erik points out that only a very small amount of paper is used per person who changes their diet. People should also note that Vegan Outreach's booklets are printed on recycled paper. Of that recycled paper that isn't post-consumer, one tree will print thousands of booklets, and save, at a minimum, thousands of animals from the horrors of modern animal agriculture each year. Last but not least, every person who changes their diet will help save forests by removing support from a system that requires a great deal more land to grow feed crops for animals than if that land was used to grow food for humans directly. In a sense, using trees for Vegan Outreach pamphlets actually causes more trees to be saved in the end.

Win an Electric Scooter!

Our friends at Tofurky are running a One Millionth Tofurky Roast Contest -- stop by and enter today!

Artivist Film Festival

The 3rd Annual Artivist Film Festival & Awards will take place November 9-12, 2006 at the historic Egyptian Theatre in the heart of Hollywood. They will be honoring Joaquin Phoenix, Daryl Hannah, Matthew McConaughey; learn more at http://www.artivists.org/.

Congratulations!

To longtime vegetarian and animal advocate Tony LaRussa, for winning the World Series -- again! Only the second manager to win the Series in both the American and National League.

Notes from Our Members

During the week of Oct 16th to Oct 20th, 2006, 4,120 Vegan Outreach booklets were distributed to students at Simon Fraser University, Langara College and the University of British Columbia -- thanks to everyone who helped! From experience, we know that a small but significant, percentage of those receiving this information will be profoundly moved in such a way as to alter their choices. Many will adopt veganism, others will become vegetarians, while others will aim to reduce or eliminate their consumption of factory farmed animals. I believe that this work is the single most effective method of reducing suffering in today’s world. I have come to this conclusion after having spent the past fifteen years involved in a broad array of activities whose fundamental commonality is the pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.

-John Bowers, 10/24/06

At the Galleria Mall today, a girl told me that she used the Why Vegan pamphlet to get one of her classmates to go vegan.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, 10/29/06

At Anne Arundel Community College today, a young woman asked me: "Do you have any more of those recipe booklets? I got the other booklet from you earlier and my entire class was talking about it."

I was at the University of DC two days ago. I met about 5 vegetarians, while 3 separate young women mentioned that they're vegan. One said that she has been vegan since learning about the animal cruelty issue, that this is her passion, that she's going to be a vet, and that she wants to get involved in activism. When I went inside for a minute, I heard one young woman say to her friend (not even noticing that I was nearby): "I'm definitely not going to be eating meat for the next week after reading this!" One woman came up to ask me about my thoughts on veganism and such. She was religious and mentioned how she thought God put animals on Earth for us. I told her that it was my belief that a merciful God would not specifically create animals with the capacity to suffer, just so that they could spend their lives suffering immensely, without reprieve. She seemed really interested and kindly patted me on the forearm before walking away.

-Jon Camp, 10/26/06

At Cal State Fullerton, it's sometimes like handing out candy to babies. One student, holding a half eaten hamburger, took a leaflet. "Wow, this is so sad. And I really love animals too." That about sums it up.

At Cal State U Northridge last week, I couldn't help but remember my first leafleting experience at CSUN; it was Columbus Day of last year. I gave away quite a few but it was tough. Some leaflets were slammed to the ground and some were even launched into the air. "F###!" "Why are you showing us this!" But each time I've come back it has been much more relaxed. Today, there were quite a lot of "F#### Yes! Hell Yes! Heck Yes! For Sure! Fo Sho! Oh Yes! Definitely!" I'm sure all of these reactions were not all vegetarians, but they are, at the very least, starting to understand. Our work has an absolutely unbelievable impact.

-Stewart Solomon, 10/25/06

A few conversational snippets from Solono Community College today:

• "So this is where everyone is getting this pamphlet! I want one! I want a copy of everything!"

• One guy passed me and I offered him a leaflet. "After lunch," he said, breezing past me. I saw him after he emerged from the cafeteria. I held up the booklet questioningly. "After I eat," he said, walking quickly away. I figured he didn't want one and was trying to be polite. This was at the end of the day and I started to pack my stuff up. Just as I was about to leave, he showed back up and called to me, "Wait! I wanted one of those!"

• In the morning, I gave an EI to a member of the staff. He said that he needed meat and could never give it up, and he stuffed the pamphlet in his pocket. I figured that there was a good chance he'd toss it without reading it. Later in the day, he came back to the table with a friend and took a GCFE and said, "This is some good stuff. We need to see more about it."

Here are some scenes from San Jose State yesterday:

• A group of three students sat on a bench with a Why Vegan. They each took a turn reading it from cover to cover, discussing it amongst themselves. At first they were kind of joking and acting tough, but by the end they all seemed to be seriously considering what they were seeing.

• "Hey, is that the vegan thing? Great! I saw one earlier and wanted one for myself!" (Spoken by a faculty member!)

• "Thanks, I already got one. It stopped me from having a burger at lunch."

• Two students, a male and female. The guy takes the booklet.

Her (sees cover): Why did you take that?

Him: Hellllloooo? Animal cruelty? It sucks!

Her: Oh, OK!

-Suzanne Haws, 10/25/06

The VO literature is the best tool for getting the message across. It was a Why Vegan booklet that convinced me to go vegetarian, and shortly after, vegan about 6 years ago.

-BW, Bristol, CT, 10/20/06

Amherst students win the award for most considerate: two of them came up to me at about 2:30 and said that they felt bad for me having to be out in the cold all day, so they'd brought me hot chocolate! I was floored. These same two students also said that they had received a brochure from me earlier in the day and were now considering vegetarianism. My tummy -and- my heart were warmed!

At the Fall Picnic / Day of Outreach at Maple Farm last Sunday, a woman and her young son who told me an incredible story of vegan outreach: when the boy, Charlie, was four years old, he picked up a Why Vegan at a store and read it on his car ride home. From the back seat, he was asking his mom questions about the photos in the brochure, and she was obviously concerned about the material he was reading! The two of them looked it over together when they got home and ended up both going vegetarian that day. Their family is now all veg, and they run a small farm sanctuary in their hometown of Stow, MA. Charlie was featured in his local newspaper on several occasions and has been an outspoken advocate for animals at his school since kindergarten. His mom told me about a time when his teacher called home to say that they would be talking about protein in class tomorrow and that "Charlie had better behave!" Needless to say, he did not. I see a bright future for him in leafleti

ng.

-Jenna Calabrese, 10/25/06

Sometimes, fighting animal cruelty is completely overwhelming. Whenever I see someone wearing fur or eating meat, it's difficult for me to remain positive. But I do have a cure for the vegan blues: every week I get a VO e-newsletter in my e-mail, always with stories about how a pamphlet influenced somebody, or recounting how successful a day of leafleting was. So, thank you for including them every week, and thanks to everyone who is making a difference for animals.

-ES, 10/19/06

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

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

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

robert · November 8, 2006

Notes from Vegan Outreach

College Outreach Hits Japan

Juan Carlos Ulribe has created a Japanese equivalent of Why Vegan. For starters, he printed 1,000 booklets and created a website: www.veganjp.org.

Amazing Pace Continues

From the Nov. 3 update of the Adopt a College website:

Pamphlets handed out this semester: 231,890

Last fall at this time: 128,038

We are now 100,000+ pamphlets above last year's pace!

607 different schools have been leafleted since AAC started.

New Leafleting Opportunity

Marisa Miller: "I saw a special preview of Fast Food Nation and was so excited to see a mainstream movie about the issue we're all devoted to. It was refreshing to hear *stars* such as Greg Kinnear and Avril Lavigne talking about poop in meat, line speeds in slaughterhouses, and activists being classified as terrorists thanks to the Patriot Act. And to show live slaughter in a commercial movie theater -- I thought it would never happen. I brought a few Try Vegetarians, which audience members around me gladly took. Then in the ladies room I overheard people talking about how ed they were and bragging about how little meat they eat. I'm thinking of standing outside of theaters after showings and passing out Try Vegetarians."

Product Source of the Week

HQ: VegieWorld is a great source of frozen vegetarian meats, even though their website is somewhat confusing. The foods we've ordered shipped quickly and arrived still frozen. The drumsticks were too spooky for one of us, and would be great for any gathering of meat-eaters. A friend reports that the shrimp is also incredible.

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

Notes from All Over

Food for Thought Podcast

Colleen Patrick-Godreau, of Compassionate Cooks, has a series of podcasts entitled Vegetarian Food for Thought. You can listen via iTunes, or through this feedburner feed.

Notes from Our Members

At Cal State Los Angeles Wednesday, I was noticing that acceptance rates and general friendliness tends to go up the more we leaflet a college. I started to realize that much of this is because the students' entire impression of what an animal activist is changes as a result of us being there, dressing nicely, being polite, and appearing intelligent.

Today at Cal State Fullerteon, a student told me she was "deeply moved" by the booklet she had received from me last week. She had always eaten meat and never gave it any thought and had no idea what was going on. I gave her a GCFE.

-Stewart Solomon, 11/3/06

A pair of advocates visited Cortland 2 weeks ago. I, like many it seems, was reluctant to accept a flier from them. I read it thoroughly, was moved by it, then copied it, shared it, talked about it, etc. The Even if You Like Meat pamphlet put me on the path that does not involve the consumption of products resulting from animal cruelty. I would like to thank you for fueling this initiative to end suffering, and all who carry its message.

-Professor Z, 11/2/06

Body of Animal Rights Campaigners (BARC, at the University of Central Florida) set up a haunted house on campus that people walked through as we told them everything about factory farming (the slogan: "America's REAL Haunted House"). We also made little "trick or treat" bags filled with vegan candy and an Even If pamphlet inside each one that we gave to everyone who left the haunted house, and to a bunch of people walking by. After we ran out of the nearly 280 goodie bags, we just started passing out more Even Ifs and Why Vegans. I personally had many lengthy and thoughtful conversations with people about veganism and factory farming. I know we got through to a number of them.

-Sara Beniamino, 11/1/06

For World Vegan Day, our University of Victoria Vegan Association tabled while I stood elsewhere on campus and leafleted for a few hours. The booklets I've been distributing at UVic over the past years are having a measurable impact on many students' choices. Each time I hand out booklets at UVic, I learn that more and more students who have received a booklet in the past now choose foods that embody little or no suffering. Today these replies ranged from "I'm vegetarian", "I'm vegan", "I'm not vegan, but I would like to be," and "I got a booklet from you before and now I don't eat pigs."

-John Bowers, 11/1/06

Today, I leafleted Sam Houston U, Montgomery College, and North Harris Montgomery College. As I was ready to leave the latter, a student ran over and asked me to give a speech for a psychology class. I gave an impromtu speech hitting on the major issues and answered some questions. It went really well, got some great feedback and mature questions and provided good answers.

-Casey Constable, 10/31/06

At Wentworth Institute of Technology today, I had this exchange with two students:

Me: Brochure on animal cruelty?

Student A: Why should I care about that?

Student B: (Jumps in before I can even respond) Because it's important! This is what we are eating, and it's gross. You should know about this. (Grabs two brochures, one for herself and one for the other student, and the two walk away discussing the information.)

At MIT on Halloween, I encountered two students who had received an EI back in September and had consequently gone vegetarian (high-five, Jason!) and two more students who received an EI today and had consequently had an all-vegan lunch. At one point, a group of middle school kids came by with their parents, and I leafleted some of them; I felt a little bad about potentially offending them with the graphic images in the EI until they came running back to me later, saying that they were all vegetarian and wanted ''some of the recipe books'' I was giving out.

-Jenna Calabrese, 11/2/06

I, myself, know of 5 people who became vegan after reading your Why Vegan booklet.

-via MySpace, 10/28/06

robert · November 15, 2006

E-Newsletter, Nov. 15, 2006

This issue is sponsored by www.DownBound.com

Notes from Vegan Outreach

AAC: The Animals' Voice

Last week, over 33,000 booklets were handed out to students on campuses across North America. The semester total is now more than 265,000. Victor Tsou is closing in on 50,000 for the term, while Jon Camp and Jenna Calabrese have passed 30,000.

In his spare time, Casey Constable has handed out over 22,000 booklets, including a new one-day single-person record of 3,000 at the University of Texas at Austin. That day was part of his total of 7,700 at UT last Tuesday through Thursday

Stewart Solomon, Suzanne Haws, and Joe Espinosa are also over 10,000 booklets for the semester, and there are 17 other individuals over 1,000!

The program will have passed 920,000 booklets by the time you see this. By our estimates, the efforts of AAC activists will spare over 40 million birds and mammals a life of suffering over the next 50 years.

Thanks so much to everyone who made the possible!!

New "A Meaningful Life" Printing Done

We now have more copies of the new printing of "A Meaningful Life" (pdf available). If you would like copies, feel free to e-mail us, or put a note in with any order you place. Thanks!

Addictive Products of the Week

Joe Espinosa: "I am writing to nominate Red Star Nutritional Yeast for product of the week. I was introduced to this product and was instantly addicted. On pizza bread, beans, soups, salads and even popcorn, it adds a burst of flavor that redefines what it means to be vegan." Anne Green blends 1C walnuts, 1/2C ground flax seeds, and 1C of nutritional yeast (which she gets in bulk from the local co-op) in a food processor to make high-Omega-3 "sprinkles" for pizza, popcorn, pasta, and other "p" foodstuffs.

Kristen S: "Stonewall Jerquee is dangerously addictive. Savory and full of protein, it is difficult to find in bulk in most areas -- but you can avoid the excessively packaged 1.5 oz bags by buying it in bulk at www.veganessentials.com.

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

Notes from All Over

The Veg Advantage

New website: A free program for food-service professionals:

"Our chefs have helped dozens of restaurants, universities, primary and secondary schools, and businesses incorporate vegetarian selections into their menus and cafeterias -- and our consulting services are available to you free of charge. Whether you need menu suggestions, tips on working with new vegetarian foods, or sources for meat analogs and other vegetarian products, help is just a phone call away!"

Another Movie Leafleting Opportunity

Two movies soon to be in theaters -- Fast Food Nation and Charlotte's Web -- provide excellent opportunities to leaflet to a sympathetic audience, especially if you attend the movie. If you attend, take a stack of VO booklets and get to the door before the crowd lets out. Start offering them to people and, typically, once the first one takes one, all the rest will. It is quite easy.

Notes from Our Members

At Texas State in San Marcos, there was one real big dude who Casey didn't want to approach because he didn't look like the type that would ever go vegetarian. However, when this guy saw what Casey was passing out, he commented on how he had seen one on the ground at Warped Tour in San Antonio. He picked one up and read it, and has been a vegetarian ever since.

It was just one year ago that I ran into Casey while leafleting one fateful day, and gave him the first Vegan Outreach pamphlet he had ever seen. The ripple effects of just one day's leafleting have far reaching impacts long into the future. Most of the time, these effects are unseen by us, but it is nice when we are able to catch a small glimpse of them.

-Eugene Khutoryansky, for Casey Constable, 11/10/06

At UNC Greensboro, it was like giving out candy on Halloween. Students would come over to get a brochure, stop whatever they were doing and take one. Even the faculty was very receptive, and staff people took booklets and indicated they were supportive of the cause. I met several vegetarians, including one who is interested in leafleting and two who want to start a group at the campus. I think it created quite a stir today, as people knew what I was handing out by the end of the day. Some exchanges:

1. Student A (after previously receiving a brochure): Can I tell you a story? I was driving the other day and I saw this truck with pigs and it was really sad. Student B (interupting): I'm going vegetarian....I'll try.

2. Me: Brochure to help animals? Student: (accepting and looking at brochure, looking shocked, then looking worried knowing she'll be giving up meat very soon)

3. Student (after previously receiving a booklet): I'll give you this -- that is one really good booklet.

By the way: the new Senator from Virginia, Jim Webb, has an EI. I leafleted him at a festival this summer and got a few words in about gestation crates and battery cages. He listened sincerely.

-Jeff Boghosian, 11/8/06

I am a junior at Indiana U. of Pennsylvania, where your organization passed out fliers last April 12th. The day I read your pamphlet I became a vegan and have not wavered in my beliefs since. Veganism is a huge part of my life and something about which I feel undeniably and indescribably strong. I would like to thank you a million times over for changing my life.

-Nadi M, 11/6/06

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

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

Vegan Outreach

P.O. Box 38492

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Vegan Outreach Newsletter

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