Enewsletter
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Enewsletter • September 14, 2011 | ||||||||||||
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Notes from Vegan Outreach
Activist Profile: Mikael NielsenContinuing our series of activist profiles, today we feature Mikael Nielsen, along with daughter Riley! Here’s an excerpt: What was your most positive leafleting experience and why? I don’t really have one great experience, but I always feel really good after any day of leafleting. Even on a day where it feels like I only reached a small number of people, that is less suffering in the world – to be a part of that is pretty neat. What would you say to individuals hesitant about leafleting? If my 10-year-old (who’s been doing it since she was 5) can do it, so can you. Don’t think about it too much and just get out there. Read the FAQ section on the VO website and familiarize yourself with the answers. It’s rare that people stop to ask you questions, but it’s a nice confidence boost to know that you are prepared if they do. Read or re-read A Meaningful Life (which I do from time to time). And it might be a little uncomfortable to get out there for the first hour or two, but that is nothing compared to what farm animals endure every second of their whole lives. They are worth it. Oh and give people the biggest smile you can! You can read the full profile here.
From “Your Daily Dose of Vegan Outreach!” & Jack Norris RD Blogs
Products of the WeekMikael: “I just started using and like the Vega antioxidant EFA oil. For people in Chicagoland, anything made by the Canary Confectionery is beyond awesome. Vegan treats galore!!” Please submit your nominees for product of the week via this page; previous entries here.
Notes from Our Members
You could make this up, but with it really happening, you don’t need to. While reaching over 1,700 students at Citrus College:
—Nikki Benoit, 9/8/11 Over
my lunch break, I reached 150
more students at Arizona State’s West campus.
I had a great conversation with a young student
who was an editor for the school paper. She
had tried being veg several years ago but only
lasted a month, but now seemed interested in
giving it another shot. Reached
520 students at CUNY Staten Island.
Everyone was very receptive and kind! Two vegetarians
are interested in helping in the future! Small
crowd at the concert tonite, but
one guy came back to tell us he had been on
his way to the restaurant on the corner to get
some chicken strips but, after getting our leaflet,
he got a vegan burger instead. My
favorite moment from leafleting
the farmers’ market was when a mom said no
to a brochure, then pointed to her 12-year-old
son and said, “Give it to him, he’ll want
one for sure.” The boy immediately started
to read it as the whole family walked away.
It was a nice switch from the parents who try
to keep the info from their children.
365
more students at the University
of Wisconsin. Heard from an amazing 16 vegetarians,
including 2 who stated that they dropped meat
after getting a booklet from us in the past. At
the concert tonite, plenty of
youngsters reacted very enthusiastically to
“Info to help animals.” One kid
asked immediately how he could donate to our
group. Also, I offered a leaflet to a young
girl who was walking with what I took to be
her grandfather. I thought the older guy would
reject the leaflet but he took one then came
back and said he was a vegetarian for 40 years
and trying to go vegan. I gave him a Guide
and some web resources. Wow,
such great outreach at UC Berkeley
today! Reached 500+ in only two hours. Really
receptive students and future students aka touring
juniors and seniors. Lots of big smiles, thank
yous and quite a few turnarounds once they
realized what the material was. Awesome! Steph
and I had many positive interactions
today in Times Square. It’s great when you see
people actually opening the booklets and having
the right kind of reaction! We were able to
distribute leaflets to many different tour groups,
reaching many children, which was fantastic!
In
Times Square today, an Australian
girl told me she had gotten one of the booklets
thee years ago down under and went veg. Clearwater’s
Great Hudson River Revival turned
out to be the most successful event we have
had in our outreach programs. Our booth was
the most popular in the activist area of over
30 booths, and we put Compassionate Choices
into the hands of 400 new people! People were
happy to see that we were there. We got the
sense that many people are ready for a lifestyle
change. We also were asked by two other event
organizers to join them at their events in the
coming months. What
a great week leafleting the Warped
Tour, from Kansas City to Darien, NY! At almost
every stop, we heard from people who are vegetarian
because of getting a booklet at last year’s
Warped.
I
actually just wanted to congratulate you on
this amazing website. Tomorrow, I am doing my
first leafleting. I was very nervous, but
your articles on vegan advocacy
really helped me to have a more clear vision
on what I have to do tomorrow, and also made
me realize that I don’t have to be angry on
meat eaters because I will not help the animals.
It really changes my whole perception on how
to do vegan campaigning and approach people.
And I will suggest to the animal rights group
for which I volunteer to adopt a college. At
Santa Rosa Junior College this
morning, a guy (Brian) offered me your booklet. I was late for class
and went by without picking it up, but I saw
the cover, was intrigued, and after class went
to get one. I have to tell you that I cried
all the way home! Yes, I had read about these
slaughterhouses and bad conditions before, but
for some reason YOUR booklet hit home! I couldn’t
ignore it anymore. And you are right: don’t
make a total commitment to being a vegan and
then stop because it’s too hard. It’s better
to gradually eat less and less meat and keep
THAT commitment. I know now that my changes
will come – you are so right. I want to encourage
you to keep handing out booklets at schools
– it works!
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