Enewsletter

Notes from Vegan Outreach

Attention North Carolina

Jon Camp will be leafleting next week (Feb. 21 - 25) in the Raleigh-Durham area as well as in Charlotte and in Greensboro. Should you wish to join him at any of these locations, please email jon@veganoutreach.org

Adopt a College Crushing Records!

The AAC Program continues to reach stunning new milestones. Already this semester, more than 34,000 booklets have been handed directly to interested students. This brings the program's total to over 200,000, saving an estimated 8,500,000 animals from the cruelty of factory farms and industrial slaughterhouses.

We are thrilled with the reception and effectiveness of Even If You Like Meat, and racing through our first printing. Soon, VO will have to prepare for another printing. Thanks to everyone who has made this possible with your hard work (often in bad weather) and donations.

(At right, Eric Porter leaflets at Temple U. Photo by Jon Camp.)

Nostalgia Link of the Week: Why Leaflet

From Fall, 1997.

Notes from All Over

Vegetarianism Impacts Campus Dining

"Some do it because they think it's immoral. Others do it because they hate the taste. Some even do it to become more healthy.

"Despite the reason, students all over campus have cast aside the taste of meat and have made the decision to indulge in a vegetarian lifestyle..."

PETA Updates Video Collection

Wide variety can be found here.

Notes from Our Members

About two weeks ago, my girlfriend wrote one of her old high school teachers an email and asked for 15 minutes to just show "Meet your Meat" in class, and to say a thing or two about veganism. Amazingly, her teacher wrote back and said, "How would you like a whole hour in three of my classes?"
     Wanting to present the best possible first-impression to these seniors, we wrote Vegan Outreach for advice, as we both knew we could trust them for some worthy tips. In part, we were directed to Matt Ball's "A Meaningful Life." So yesterday and the day before, using this simple but honest approach to making the world a better place, we told our stories of how we went vegan, what veganism means to us, showed "Meet your Meat," answered questions, and treated everyone to some soymilk. We spoke from our hearts about how being a vegan is something we can do to lessen the amount of suffering in the world. We focused only on what was going to get them to consider moving towards and maintaining a vegan lifestyle: their compassion for suffering. Every person there could see we were speaking from our hearts, not trying to preach, condemn, or win any arguments. The teacher was amazed and so touched that after the first two classes, she asked us to present to two more classes on Friday, for a total of 5 classes overall. We made this presentation for ~100 high school seniors.
     A number of students told us they now wanted to go vegetarian, but more importantly, I saw in the eyes of every person who left that room that they knew the way these animals are being treated is wrong. For most, it's only a matter of time. It left me confident that, with continued efforts to educate, my generation can bring about the abolition of many practices and forms of exploitation. Even the teacher is interested in a vegan lifestyle! Thank you so much for all your help -- we couldn't have done it without you!
-Justin Berkheimer, Erie, PA, 2/12/05

We (Compassionate Consumers) handed out about 175 EIYLMs at University of Rochester on Friday night. They were showing "The Vagina Monologues" and we leafleted as people were leaving. We tried something a little different, we handed them out with the back page face up so that it looked a bit more positive than the pigs behind bars photo. We wanted to see whether people would be more receptive to taking them if they saw something less "uncomfortable" on the cover. We found that we had a much higher acceptance rate when people saw the back cover rather than the front cover. So, I guess both sides are good because if people refuse them, at least they are left with the imagery if they saw the front cover. But if they see the back cover first and take the leaflet as a result, and then flip it over and read it later, that is good too.
-Jodi Chemes, 2/12/05

We received the boxes of booklets just over a week ago, and were able to get them to interested people much them faster than I expected. My girlfriend and I took the first box of EIYLM to the coffee shop where most of the kids our age hang out, as well as to the bar and venue two store fronts down where there are constantly shows and out of town bands. Not only did we have the opportunity to distribute this important literature to lots of younger kids -- many who seemed totally unaware of the cruelties of factory farming -- but we also had the opportunity to communicate on a personal basis and form a positive -- and hopefully lasting -- impression.
     Two nights ago the band "Strike Anywhere" came through on their tour. The singer, a vegan, approached me and asked if he could have some Why Vegan pamphlets to put out on their merchandise table during their tour. I was more than happy to give him roughly half of the box, although i think he'll be out after only a few shows! Thank you for helping save lives!
-Nathan Ellis, Columbia, SC, 2/10/05

Vegan Outreach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of farmed animals by promoting informed, ethical eating. All donations are tax-deductible. Vegan Outreach POB 30865, Tucson, AZ 85751-0865