Notes from Vegan Outreach

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Thanks to designer (and researcher) extraordinaire Lauren Panos for her consistently amazing work!

Product of the Week

Office: Although not as widely-available as some other bars, Probar is a high-energy, nutrient-dense whole foods meal replacement. Comes in seven different flavors, and can be ordered on-line.

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

Notes from All Over

Why Does a Salad Cost More Than a Big Mac?

Breakdown of federal subsidies, with meat and dairy receiving 73.8%; from PCRM.

California: Get Animals on the Ballot!

A ballot initiative campaign is underway in California to ban the cruelest confinement systems in the veal, egg, and pork industries. HumaneCalifornia.org has all the details.

More Young People Go Veg

Via COK, in USA Today: "Many nutrition experts say they've seen changes in the food landscape over the past five to 10 years that suggest a growing popularity of vegetarianism among young people.... Predovich's choice at age 13 was influenced by her mother's best friend, a vegan who abstains from animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs. 'She opened my eyes to the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses, and I didn't want to be a part of that,' says Predovich." Read more; also see this page of Vegan Kids.

Notes from Our Members

I often hear activists talk about how they'd die for the animals. I'd much rather they live for the animals. Ultimately, as activists in this day and age, what is needed from us is nothing terribly heroic, just our showing up and consistently doing the work that needs to be done.
-Jon Camp, 10/26/07, leafleting at U WI, Madison while another student shows his friend a booklet; photo by Joe Espinosa

Leafleting at the University of Michigan today, one girl stopped to tell us that she went vegan after she got a booklet last year, and that it completely changed her life!
-Andy Pollens, 10/24/07

At City College San Francisco, the first person we offered a leaflet to said, "That's what turned me vegan." A doctor came out, thanked us, and said, "Give these (EIs) to everyone! Everyone needs to see this!"
-Victor Tsou & Miranda Robbins, 10/23/07

In only 2 hours, Giuliano and I were able to distribute 600 Why Vegan flyers to students at Bologna U [Italy]. As this was a first time leafleting for the both of us, neither of us knew what to expect. I was surprised to find how easy it was to hand out flyers. Many people who walked past were very interested in what I was handing out and a few even stopped to ask questions or to tell me that they were vegan or vegetarian themselves. Overall it was a very enlightening experience.
-MA, 10/24/07

At right, Jodi Chemes staffs the Vegan Outreach table at the entrance to the Central Florida Veg Fest in Orlando; photo by Linda Bower (click for larger version).

I became vegetarian the day I received a Why Vegan brochure, and have made the gradual transition to veganism over the past year or so. My husband became vegetarian just about a year ago. I am so grateful to Vegan Outreach for having caused this wonderful change in our lives, and I am going to start leafleting to become more involved in the organization.
-AN, 10/25/07

Leafleting at Purdue today, I had one interaction that began with three students smugly eating their hot dogs as they questioned the meaning of my "Help stop violence" line. I explained that most of us do not grow up to be serial killers, yet the average person in the US eats over 30 farm animals a year, thousands over the course of their lifetimes, and that simple dietary choices could spare many animals from the misery described in the booklet. Their tone changed from poking fun at the issue to asking more serious questions about protein, dairy cows, and weight lifting -- topics I know something about! They did take the booklets, and I urged them to look at the amount and type of suffering involved and to weigh that against their liking of meat.
-Joe Espinosa, 10/26/07

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