Notes from Vegan Outreach

2008's 50-State Challenge!

We need your help to have at least one school in every state in the US leafleted this semester! Just pledge to leaflet a college/university/high school in your state and send us the details (photos, too, if you can) of your experience, and we'll send you the Vegan Outreach booklet(s) of your choice.

Activists from the following states are particularly needed:
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Basla Andolsun leaflets at Georgetown U; photo by Jon Camp.

First-time leafleters are heartily welcomed. We'll answer any questions you have before you start -- you can learn more about the whys, hows, and much more at the Adopt a College site -- and we'll try to hook you up with an experienced leafleter as much as possible.

Please send your pledge -- school(s) to be leafleted, your shipping address, and any questions -- to Anne, anne (at) veganoutreach (dot) org. Please indicate which booklet(s) you'd like, and how many you expect to distribute.

Let's reach students in each state in 2008!

Product of the Week

Theresa: I have just discovered Larabars. They are raw, unprocessed and really good for you. They are made with only a few ingredients and are very tasty.

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

Notes from All Over

Check That Chicken Nugget: It Might Just Be a Plant

From The Washington Post:
      Allison Don is not a paranoid eater, but when faced with dishes made with mock meat, the vegetarian occasionally has one of her carnivorous friends take the first bite -- just to be certain it isn't the real thing.
      "You can't tell sometimes," the 24-year-old Arlington resident said of the latest generation of imitation meats, a sample of which appeared in her "Chicken" Deluxe lunch at Java Green in Washington. "I wouldn't be able to tell unless one of my friends tasted it, or I picked it apart."
     "It looks too real," said Terry Yuin, the 56-year-old native of Taiwan who runs Terry's Healthy Food in Rockville, which sells to retail customers and supplies imitation meats to about 40 area restaurants, including Java Green and the Vegetable Garden. "A lot of people are scared." Full story; see also this article on in meatro. Of course, Vegan Outreach disagrees with the distinction the WaPo article makes between philosophical and pragmatic vegetarians.

'In the Kitch': Skinny, Vegan, Profane

Via DawnWatch:
      They promote a strict vegan diet -- no dairy, no meat, no fish, no poultry, no animal products, no additives, no sugar, no white flour. Skinny Bitch took off after a major 'Posh' push. First published in 2005 with 15,000 copies, it became a star last summer when Victoria Beckham, a vegetarian, was photographed carrying a copy. Now 850,000 copies are in print. Full story.

Notes from Our Members

In my week of leafleting across British Columbia, seven of us [including Roger Clark, Marley Daviduck, and Marysia McGilvray, pictured] handed booklets to a total of 6,151 students! I am confident that this will ultimately translate into many thousands of animals being spared from a life of suffering. So many students were genuinely grateful to have received this information. For example, one student today reached out and held my hands and said in a gentle voice "I got one from you yesterday -- Thank you!"
-John Bowers, 1/11/08

At Santa Clara U, many said they'd already received an Even If You Like Meat (from Victor) last semester. Some still had it at home! Miranda handed the booklet to one girl, and before she could hand one to her friend, the friend had snatched the EI out of the original recipient's hands with a squeal of delight. She turned around and waved the booklet and yelled, "Thanks!"
     At Adrian Wilcox High, Miranda handed the Why Vegan to a student who, upon receiving it, stood in the middle of the sidewalk reading. He eventually started walking on his way, but kept stopping, engrossed in the informative literature that was, at that moment, forever changing his life. A trio of students happily took the booklets and then read and discussed what they were reading as they walked.
     There were a million stories at UC Santa Barbara yesterday. Vegans everywhere! One "this pamphlet turned me vegan" and two "this pamphlet turned me vegetarian"s. Also one "I had a veggie hot dog for lunch today because of this booklet." Victor met several enthusiastic members of the student AR club, one of whom followed up and wrote Victor email that very day.
-Miranda Robbins & Victor Tsou, 1/11/08

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