Notes from Vegan Outreach

Adopt a College Smashing Records

Last week, Adopt a College reached the two millionth student! Based on our estimates, the efforts of AAC activists have led to over 50,000 new vegetarians, each sparing about three dozen land animals every year.

As we have written in Activism and Veganism, "Given the number of non-human animals suffering in the US, the extent to which they are suffering, and the reason they are intentionally made to suffer, animal liberation must be seen as the moral imperative of our time. Our entire focus must be on ending the suffering as efficiently and quickly as possible."

Because of those willing to do the hard, necessary work, more and more people are learning the truly horrific realities of modern agribusiness and the compassionate alternative. Thanks to everyone who makes this work possible! We will continue to focus on doing our absolute best for the animals, each and every day.

Double Your Team Vegan Donation!

Team Vegan is training to run a half marathon on April 12th to raise funds for Vegan Outreach leafleters. We just hit two major high points: This past weekend, we all ran farther than ever before. (I’ve got the blisters to prove it.) The hill before the Golden Gate Bridge just about did us in, but remembering the animals in transport trucks and the Vegan Outreach leafleters spreading the word gave us the push we needed.

The second and highest point comes from an amazing couple in Canada. John and Fany want the world to go veg and are doing something about it in a big way: They will match ANY amount that Team Vegan raises by race day, April 12th.

Yes -- ANY amount!!!!

If you donate $250 to Team Vegan today, it will turn into $500 because of John and Fany and their commitment to exposing and ending animal suffering. Please support Team Vegan’s efforts by donating on our behalf and John and Fany will double your contribution. Together, we can get more booklets into the hands of many more people!

Thank you!!
Alex, Official Team Vegan Cheerleader

Help Brian Grupe!

Brian Grupe is relocating to Boston, MA in April to become the New England Outreach Coordinator. He's looking for places to stay as he crosses the country on I-80. Surrounding areas could be considered; e-mail him to discuss!

April 10 - Thursday - Salt Lake City, Utah
April 11 - Friday - Kerney, Nebraska
April 13 - Sunday - Buffalo, NY

If you are in the northeast, feel free to drop Brian a line -- brian (at) veganoutreach (dot) org.

Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

Animal advocate Mark Hawthorne has written a new book, Striking at the Roots. Anyone looking for ideas about how to help animals or guidance about how to do things in the most effective way will find this book packed full of information. Hawthorne devotes the entire first chapter to effective leafleting. You can read more reviews and order the book here.

Product of the Week

This week's pick comes directly from the VO office: Celebration Roast by Field Roast, and all we can say is, "WOW!" Jon Camp said, "This might be the best mock meat I've ever tasted!" We only wish more of their products were available here.

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

Notes from Our Members

I just read "Why We Leaflet." It brought tears to my eyes! Thanks to Vegan Outreach for sharing this story with everyone and to Wayne and Dan for showing this poor cow such compassion as she lay dying alone and scared. As a vegan activist, sometimes I get down and feel discouraged about trying to make a difference for the animals. However, when I read a story like this it motivates me when I see that I am not alone in wanting to make changes for the animals. Even though activists sometimes feel isolated in their communities, we are not. We do make a difference every day for the animals -- I can see an exciting new awareness and growth in vegetarianism and veganism!
-DA, 3/14/08

Melanie Mauller leaflets at Northern Arizona U; photo by Jon Camp.

At the University of Colorado, Boulder, I had a number of great interactions. A longtime agitator from back in my tabling days who used to rationalize eating animals told me he looked through the Even If You Like Meat he got from me and hardly eats any meat now. One woman who'd gotten an Even If recently said she used it for a critical thinking presentation.
-Barbara Bear, 3/7/08

I found your brochure in the trash at CU Boulder. Bloody awful! Please send me more information..."natural" -- what a farce!
-CM, 3/8/08

Leafleting downtown Portland, the people who did accept the brochure were very interested in the subject matter. Many people sat down to read the booklets cover to cover while waiting for the train. Miranda was wearing a portable DVD player. One man, transfixed by the video, asked where he could get several copies of the movie to show all of his friends. He already doesn't consume meat, but after seeing the video and looking through the Why Vegan, he promised me that he is going vegan. Also, he had been planning to open a restaurant that is now going to be a vegan restaurant.
-Emily Pepe & Miranda Robbins, 3/7/08

At Humboldt State University today, I had about 20 brief discussions. Highlights:

• "This booklet is the reason I am vegetarian."
• "After I read the booklet [received from me yesterday], I bought tofu dogs at the store. And they were actually good!"
• Gave 50 EIs to the student group for upcoming tabling and demonstrations.
• Talked to numerous people from the group at different times who hopefully will contact VO about getting literature.
• Had conversations spanning from how tasty nutritional yeast is, to business ethics and the evolving consumer, to methods of activism, etc.
• Many professors gratefully accepted literature, and other vegetarians wanted lit to offer their spouses/friends/family etc.

Last week at Folsom High, I had one of my top 10 leafleting moments. The very last group of guys I leafleted at this suburban high school were all decked out in expensive baggy jeans, shoes, and Ts, with their hats tilted in various directions. They all wanted a booklet and stood around me in a semicircle, immediately opening them up and looking at them in complete silence (this moment was simply unbelievable). Each one was really affected by the images of cruelty. These kids were the absolute last people I'd ever expect to get this kind of reaction from and it really made my day.
-Brian Grupe, 3/11/08

At Central Connecticut State U, the first student I leafleted used to work for Tyson. He was supportive and agreed that what he saw in chicken slaughtering was cruel and hated going to work every day. One student came back later expressing interest in going vegan. Gave her a Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating -- turns out she hadn't tried soy cheese, soymilk, or soy ice cream before, so she was excited and thanked me a bunch for handing out the info.
     Other comments: "This is whack, I can't look at this [to another student] -- have you seen this?" "I totally support you, thank you for doing this!" "This almost made me cry -- I might go vegetarian!"
-Eileen Botti, 3/13/08

Sigmund Freud contemplates whether he really does like meat; photo by Eileen Botti.

At MacCormac College, one fellow told me that he went veg after reading the PURPLE version of Why Vegan. I haven't seen one of those in years! Two other students stopped by, one telling me that he had received a WV from me in the past, and that it had completely traumatized him. "I can't stop thinking about it." He concluded our chat by saying, "You know, in this country, everyone likes to blame someone else. People say it's Bush's fault that we're in Iraq. It's the corporations' fault that they're poor. It's their culture's fault that they beat dogs [we had talked about Michael Vick] or their kids. We need to stop blaming everyone else, and start taking action."
-Wayne Hsiung, 3/7/08

Ann Swissdorf leaflets at Colorado State; photo by Jon Camp.

At Cascadia Community College, two students each took a booklet and kept walking. After they saw the title Why Vegan, one said, "I love meat," while the other kept reading. The first student tore his copy into small pieces and consigned it to a trash can and kept walking. After a few moments, the "reader" brought the "tearer's" attention to the inside pages of the booklet and they both froze. It was quite a sight to see them reading the booklet so intently for a few minutes.
-Anu Garg, 3/5/08

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Vegan Outreach
P.O. Box 30865
Tucson, AZ 85751-0865

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