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Notes from Vegan Outreach

Activist Profile: Nikki Benoit

Continuing our series of activist profiles, we meet Nikki Benoit, famous for schooling Obama on vegan issues (note that Obama pronounces “vegan” correctly). Leafleting for Florida Voices for Animals, Nikki has reached tens of thousands of individuals with VO booklets.

Here is an excerpt from her profile:

What was your most positive leafleting experience and why?

At St. Pete College – Gibbs campus, I leafleted a group of students and kept walking. Fifteen feet away I overheard, “That’s IT! I CAN’T do this anymore, damn it! I can’t contribute to this abuse! I’m DONE!” She went veg on the spot! Her friends were moaning that their lunch plans would have to change, so I told them about local veggie options. After lunch the new veg and a friend walked past me, and the non-veg said, “She’ll have me changed by the end of the day…guaranteed.”

Products of the Week

Nikki: “Loma Linda Big Franks – we cut in thirds, wrap them in Pillsbury croissants and call them Frankies in a Blankie!”

Also: A new “Choose Compassion” bumper sticker is available from the VO catalog.

Send your product of the week to product (at) veganoutreach (dot) org; previous entries here.

Notes from All Over

Ginnifer Goodwin’s Aha! Moment

“When people ask, I always tell them, ‘I didn’t stop eating animal products because I didn’t like the taste. I loved the taste! But in this life, I want to inflict as little pain as possible.’ To everyone who argues that we can treat our fellow earthlings this way and so we should, I like to quote Harry Potter’s Dumbledore, who said: ‘It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.’ I adore that.” Full article.

It Helps When Your Opponents Are Idiots

Agriculture Industry Encouraged To Adopt “Happiness Is A Dead Animal” Slogan; full article.

The Problem with “Eat Local”

“Research concludes that if the average American meat eater gives up eating meat once a week, that would be the equivalent of eating all of your food locally.” Full article.

Lightning Round

• Wal-Mart: Private Label Eggs All Cage-Free
• Funny Vegetarian Scene from Everything Is Illuminated
• Animal Antibiotic Overuse Hurting Humans?
• VeggieDate.org Updated
• Via Vegan.com:
  • United Nations Calls for Livestock Tax
  • No Food Safety for Wyoming!
  • “Is the meat industry trying to put itself out of business?”
  • Harris Teeter Upgrades Animal Welfare Standards
  • Oregon Reporter Vegan Week 2
  • Vegan Ellen DeGeneres Poised to Become Next Queen of TV

Notes from Our Members

Adrie Voors lets another James Madison University student know the hidden fate of “food animals.”

I handed out much more literature than I expected to at Chapman University. Students were very receptive – lots of declines came back to accept literature later. Met several former vegetarians who walked away with their fists full of literature, inspired to give it another go. Several students came by to say they had read it, offering a comment of disbelief or suggesting that they were going to seriously consider it. A chef came by to say how opposed he was to factory farming, and how much he enjoyed creating culinary alternatives.
—Brianne Donaldson, 2/3/10

Conversation of the day at Montgomery College – Takoma Park:
Me: Hello, info to help animals?
Young woman: Oh, I already got that and I’m now vegan.
Me: Awesome! What made you decide to do that?
Young woman: That booklet (points at Even If You Like Meat).
—Jon Camp, 2/4/10

At Stetson University’s College of Law, a male student initially refused a leaflet but then took one and said he appreciated that our approach is not “all or nothing.” Later, a woman said her son has had a strong aversion to eating meat even when he was a young child. She said she would show him the leaflet.
—Lana Smithson, 2/3/10

Met some vegans this time at Armstrong Atlantic University, one of whom went vegan due to receiving a leaflet in the past!
—Rob Gilbride, 2/4/10

University of Missouri students are engrossed in VO booklets.

While leafleting at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, I saw various signs of progress, including a flier at the student union: “Where can I find vegetarian/vegan/organic options on campus?” which lists food available at the various restaurants in the union. Also saw soy milk in small cartons and available with the cream for the coffee.
—Leslie Patterson, 2/5/10

Yve Solbrekken, Leah Wagner, and I reached over 3,000 University of Missouri students on this cold and snowy day in Columbia. We enjoyed largely positive and friendly reception from polite students. I had several interactions with various ag and animal science students. One respectful animal science student was very receptive to considering the cruelty side of the factory farming efficiency equation and realizing that these aspects need to be improved. One journalism student patiently interviewed me between booklets and that went well also.
—Rick Hershey, 2/4/10

Thank you for the dose of rationality!
—RH, 2/17/10, via Facebook

	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