Enewsletter

Notes from Vegan Outreach

Link of the Week

• Why Vegan Outreach, by Joe Espinosa and Marsha Forsman

Activist Profile: Brian Grupe

Vegan Outreach continues to profile some of our top leafleters. This week, we feature Brian Grupe, Vegan Outreach's man in the northeast. This past school year, Brian handed booklets to over 40,000 students at dozens of different schools. Here are some excerpts:

Who has been / is a major influence in your life and why?
My mother, sister, and grandmother have been incredibly influential throughout my life. The strength and courage they have shown during hard times inspires and motivates me. I try to live my life with love and compassion based on the examples they have set for me. Also, everyone who works and volunteers for Vegan Outreach inspires me daily to be a better person and activist. Their dedication and perseverance amazes me and sets the bar high for what I know I can personally accomplish with my activism.

How long have you been involved in animal rights and how did you get interested?
In early 2007, I got an Even If You Like Meat booklet at my college, Sacramento State. I read it and went vegetarian that day. Most of the classes I was taking at that time centered on philosophy, and I decided to research the issue of factory farming and animal rights on my own. I read all the articles written by Jack and Matt on VO's website and picked up Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. I went vegan soon after that, and emailed Jack to tell him how much of an impact Vegan Outreach had made on me. Jack invited me to leaflet with him at the local Warped Tour stop, in which nearly 5,000 booklets were distributed. I began volunteering and leafleting colleges and high schools in my free time and was offered a job with Vegan Outreach in October of 2007. I have now been with Vegan Outreach for 9 months.

Read the entire profile here!

Product of the Week

Brian: The Colossal Chocolate Chip Cookies, from the Alternative Baking Co. If not available in your area, you can order them from Pangea.

Notes from All Over

Lightning Round

• Erik Marcus and Megan McArdle on recent attacks on researchers.
• Sausages Biggest Sellers for Vegan Company, Field Roast

Notes from Our Members

I would just like to let you know you changed my life. I don't eat meat anymore -- I'll stick to your eating guides. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
-LM, 8/10/08

Aaron Ross (at right), who leafleted the Warped Tour with HLP, recently came across a young woman wearing a Warped Tour shirt. He introduced himself and mentioned that he had leafleted the show. The young woman replied that she had received a booklet, was very moved by it, and as a result, is now vegetarian.
-Reported by Jon Camp, 8/10/08

I received one of your booklets and am now filled with sickness at the fact that I never informed myself with the reality of this sad truth. I am now trying to cut down and eventually cut meat out all together.
-TR, 8/11/08

At the Red Bull Flugtag in Portland, lots of people commented on my Vegan Outreach shirt. All of the comments were positive ("Hooray! It's Vegan Outreach!") or neutral ("Oh look, Debbie, it's a vegan!"). One man even came up from behind me, hand outstretched, saying, "I want to find out what this Vegan Outreach is." A man thanked me for distributing the literature because it "reaffirms my choices about what to eat." He said he sometimes cheats on his vegetarian diet, and reminders like these can help him. About ten people told me that they already have an Even If You Like Meat at home. One of those people added, "Actually, I'm vegan now, and this is the brochure that converted me!"
-Emily Pepe, 8/3/08

Riley Law leaflets Market Days in Chicago; photo by Mikael Nielsen.

My favorite interaction at the farmers' market today was with a mom with three little kids. She said her kids were starting to ask her where meat comes from and that was making her uncomfortable. She has friends who are vegan, so she seemed open (almost anxious) to make the switch. It made me realize that our work getting people to make the switch to nonviolent eating will be easier and easier as more people will know of vegans in their immediate circles.
-Barbara Bear, 8/10/08

Thanks for the booklet I was handed while walking around Baltimore. I had no idea farm animals were treated so bad! I will definitely be cutting down on my meat consumption!
-BT, 8/10/08

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