Enewsletter

Enewsletter • December 8, 2010

This issue sponsored by Allison’s Gourmet Organic Bakery, Confectionary, & Gift Boutique

VO’s approach, simultaneously pragmatic and forward-thinking, focuses on engaging those who are deemed most open to lifestyle changes: namely, the young, and, in particular, college students. Perhaps more importantly, its philosophy extends well beyond mere “vegan” outreach as a practical recognition of how vital it is to meet people where they are, not where animal advocates want them to be.
—VegNews, “The Road to Vegetopia”

Notes from Vegan Outreach

Students, Leaflets, the Animals, and You!

Your donations at work: Lana Smithson opens eyes at the University of Vermont!

Wow! Adopt a College activists have been on an amazing roll!

Just look at these results – this semester alone, dedicated activists have already handed VO’s detailed, documented booklets directly to 620,781 students at 793 schools! This vastly exceeds the totals from spring term, as well as fall 2009!

Activists have been leafleting at such a furious pace that we didn’t notice when we reached our 5,000,000th student!

That’s right – VO activists have personally handed our powerful, persuasive booklets directly to five million students!

Every single day, activists are letting more students know the truth about the hidden, vicious cruelty inherent in modern agribusiness, as well as offering concrete, understandable steps to sustainable change.

Every single booklet, every single student reached, every single new vegetarian – all because generous, thoughtful donors have contributed to Vegan Outreach.

With the current matching opportunity, your donation to Vegan Outreach’s work will be doubled, dollar for dollar!

Every dollar makes a difference!

You can use a credit card to make a secure, tax-deductible donation online, or send a check or money order to:

Vegan Outreach | POB 30865 | Tucson, AZ 85751

Hundreds have already stepped up to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Please be a part of this vital work – please make a tax-deductible donation today and reach twice as many people!

Thanks so much!

PS – Five million students have learned the truth so far.

How many we reach in 2011 depends on you!

Stock Donations Save Animals and Taxes!

If you donate appreciated stocks or mutual funds to Vegan Outreach by the end of the year, you can save on your taxes and help Vegan Outreach activists reach more people! Please contact Vegan Outreach if you have any questions.

From “Your Daily Dose of Vegan Outreach!” & Jack Norris RD Blogs

Factory Farms in America
Vegan Thanksgiving (applicable to other holidays)
Vegan Protein Needs: Updated
Summary of Recommendations for Vegan Teens

Products of the Week

For quick meals, Gina recommends PlantPure Java BBQ Tempeh with Quinoa and Amy’s Mattar Tofu.

Please submit your favorite products; you can view previous entries here.

Notes from All Over

Lightning Round

Notes from Our Members

Amazing day at Santa Monica College – reached over 700 students in 75 minutes and had simply amazing conversations! First was a young bodybuilder (right) who was troubled with the inhumane treatment of animals and the toxins/ fear you consume as a result. We chatted, I gave him a Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating and info on the Robert Cheeke, Brendan Brazier, and Jack Norris RD blogs. HE’S VEGAN AS OF THIS SECOND, YES HE IS!
     Moments later, a couple of girls winced at the leaflets and agreed to do anything to help so long as they didn’t have to look at the pictures. They each got a Guide and an AML.
     Turned another corner offering leaflets to passersby who said, “YES, I LOVE ANIMALS!”
     Then chatted with vegans who are still going strong from booklets/ conversations last semester. Smiles and winks.
     Then, a security guard asked for his own booklet!
     Fun-filled hour and fifteen minutes worth of conversations with: vegans on strategy; vegetarians on vegan-conversions; meat eaters and baby steps. This was probably the most power-packed, compassion-spewing window within my leafleting career.
—Nikki Benoit, 10/13/10

Today, we reached 1,625 students at George Washington University and Howard University! At GWU, we handed a booklet to a student carrying her lunch. She opened it as she walk away, paused down the street, then came back to me to say that she could not eat her chicken nuggets after reading the pamphlet – she felt terrible and had no idea animals were treated this way. At Howard, had a long conversation with an inquiring student about how easy it is to be healthy on a vegan diet and relieved his concerns about adequate plant-sourced protein intake. Another student said he went vegan from receiving an Even If You Like Meat from Kate last semester!
—Aaron (right) and Kate, The Animal Awareness Project, 10/13/10

At Appalachian State, 960 students were happy to learn the truth today. One said, “I’m doing a report on that!” Another said, when she saw the Even If cover, “Oh, good! What incredible timing! I’ve been thinking of going vegetarian!” She also got a Guide. Also met a student interested in leafleting.
I knew VO brochures were powerful, but apparently moreso than I suspected; one student shivered and confided: “I read that last year and passed out!”
—Eleni Vlachos, 10/14/10

On our Ohio leafleting vacation, Leslie (right) and I reached over 4,100 students at Ohio State, Youngstown State, and the University of Akron (MFA Ohio joined us at OSU, and reached an additional 800 students). Handed out dozens of Guides, too. Students were amazingly receptive!
—Joe Espinosa, 10/11/10

Aleta and I had a good day at Norwalk Community College and Housatonic Community College. Met a slew of vegetarians at Norwalk, and gathered names and emails of four students who want to either leaflet or get veg options in the cafeteria. One student took ten Compassionate Choices to hand out to her friends to help them understand why she is vegetarian! Talked about animal issues with the head of the Student World Assembly, who wants us to come with literature when they show movies and have events.
—Karen James, 10/7/10

I just read your summary of Switch and was again impressed by Vegan Outreach’s process. I’ve been a longtime donor, but you’ve inspired me to increase my monthly donation. Thank you for being an effective tool for change! I’m proud to support your work.
—RH, 12/1/10

Diana Scott takes the animals’ case to Columbia College students.

At Clark College, a guy stopped dead in his tracks for about five minutes to read the Even If You Like Meat. He then said, “I have been thinking about going vegan. Now I know I am.” I gave him a Guide.
Met girl at Mt. Hood Community College who went veg for three months after getting a booklet previously. Said she ate bacon one time and then went back to meat. I told her reducing suffering isn’t an all-or-nothing commitment – just because you eat bacon one time does not mean you need to just say, “Oh well. I guess I’ll start eating meat at every meal now.” She seemed inspired about that approach and took a Guide.
Talked to a lot of vegetarians at Reed College – could have handed out a lot more Guides if I hadn’t run out. At one point, I overheard a group of about 20 kids talking about the booklet, factory farming and vegetarianism. It was awesome!
—Phil Letten, 10/11/10

We reached over 1,700 students at Oakton Community College. Most students took a booklet. I think there were only a couple of people who made comments such as, “Oh, I can’t look at that stuff,” to which I normally replied, “That’s the reality for these animals.” One girl took the booklet after I said that and looked through it. She told me that she tried being vegetarian but had meat cravings. Her friend said that she can’t give up chicken. We talked and I gave them some helpful suggestions. They then sat down on a bench and were looking through the booklet and discussing it further.
I saw lots of other students reading the booklet, and overheard another student saying that her teacher was talking about the booklet in class and that they were planning on talking more about it the next day.
—Anna, with Leslie, Andrea, Beata, Chris, and Mickey, 10/14/10

Megan Brunning provides a sunny example of compassionate living at the University of Georgia.

At the University of Colorado, Boulder, one student told me he had gotten a booklet a few years ago as a freshman and it had a huge impact on him. He said he eats very little animal flesh now. I gave him a Guide and menus from a couple of restaurants with a lot of vegan options. He really enjoyed chatting about his awakening and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes vegan eventually.
Later, a young woman rushed back to tell me that she became a vegetarian a month ago, but her friends all still eat animals. I congratulated her on her decision and told her she could show the Compassionate Choices to her friends. I gave her a Guide as well as the aforementioned menus. She was grateful for the information and seemed relieved to meet another person who “gets it.”
—Barbara Bear, 10/4/10

Festive mood at Broward College, where Linda and I reached 750+ students. Lots of vegetarians, plus many interested kids wanting to know about what more they could do to help! One conversation was really great – an interested student with many questions. She left with a Guide and booklets for friends.
—Yuri Mitzkewich, 10/13/10

At Northern Virginia Community College, a woman confronted me with various accusations and questions, including that we should focus on human suffering first. I told her that suffering is suffering, and we’re kind and competent enough individuals to tackle both – working on one does not preclude us from working on the other. By refusing to apologize for working on behalf of animals and by focusing the attention on the preventable suffering of animals, the woman ended up being unable to brush off the fact that we can play a role in reducing animal suffering. She stated that I raised some good points and we parted on good terms.
—Jon Camp (right), 9/27/10

Please help reach the next 5,000,000!
Please have your donation doubled today – and help create even more change!

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