Enewsletter
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Enewsletter • August 8, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||
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Notes from Vegan Outreach
Activist Profile: Sen HolidayContinuing our series of activist profiles, we meet Sen Holiday! Here is an excerpt: Why do you leaflet? I first leafleted with Vic in 2009 in Boston – it was a super-positive experience, so when I met Fred in the Twin Cities, I immediately signed up for whatever leafleting I could. I leaflet because it’s important! And I get to meet other cool folks, too. What was your most positive leafleting experience and why? Just this last semester, I was leafleting in Wisconsin (“Would you like some info to help animals?”) when someone darted across lots of pedestrian traffic to say, “Yes, and hug me!” and promptly hugged me. They were vegan and were really glad I was there leafleting. It reminded me that I’m not only getting the information out to folks, but also that I’m connecting with people who are lacking a community of like-minded individuals.
From “Your Daily Dose of Vegan Outreach!” & Jack Norris RD Blogs
Recipe of the WeekSen: “This just might be my favorite recipe.” Please submit your nominees for product of the week via this page; previous entries here.
Notes from Our Members
Sen and I reached
nearly 800 students yesterday
at Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and Omaha
Central High. Met a number of vegetarians and vegans. One guy came
back after getting a booklet, held up his lunch container,
and said, “I got pasta!” Grossmont College was
awesome: soooo many sparks
flew with soooo many people who stopped to chat
– an environmental engineer major, a to-be
law student, etc. Another student is doing a
presentation on this topic, so I gave him a Guide
and Christian
Vegetarian Association booklet as additional resources.
Bumped into a most dreamy being who, obviously,
is a life coach, beaming with positive juju
and wisdom. Stopped short with his booklet asking
for recipes cuz he’s veg. Moments later, numerous
students came up to say hi to him, inquire about
training, etc. He advised everyone to read the
booklet and know what’s going on, think about
how toxic it is to consume this violence. Jon and I reached over
1,600 students at SUNY
Cortland. One girl was really inspired and
wants to get active back in her native France.
I asked three girls in a group if they were
offered a booklet yet. They all said they had
been and that they had all just had salads for
lunch. Two young men ran away from me screaming,
“I don’t wanna eat meat no more!”
I replied, “Here, take this (Guide)
then! It has vegetarian recipes and stuff.”
They each took one. I asked if they are no longer
eating meat because of the booklet, and I got
a resounding “YES!” John and I set a new
record at SUNY Binghamton
– over 3,100 students. A number of comments
showing support: “I read this and it made
me really upset.” “I appreciate the
work you’re doing” (heard that several
times). “It’s f’ed up, man.” “That
makes me want to be a vegetarian.” “This
booklet just changed my life!”
While leafleting the
University of Montana
Techical College, I leafleted a couple of kids
at the high school next door. One of them was
veg and very excited to meet another veggie.
I love that. Excellent acceptance
rate at Plymouth State,
where I reached 754 students. I met a student
who said she went veg because of a booklet.
She mentioned that she had ordered a Guide
at the time, and the information was all helpful.
While leafleting Manhattan Center for Science
and Math, met a young Hispanic mother who said
she and her daughter were vegetarian – they
got a Guide for Jack’s health info.
Met an African American teacher from another
smaller school who asked for multiple copies
for her students. Pretty good reception at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. One student said there was a campus
group but they did not do much and said she
would like to get involved; I gave her more
info on VO. One student told me proudly he had
been veg for a year and a half. Overheard another
student tell her friend after he took a leaflet,
“See? You should be vegetarian like me!”
Another came back to ask for a couple more leaflets
since they were discussing it in their class.
Big day of outreach at the University of Cincinnati
and Cincinnati State. Sue, Rich, Kevin, Helen,
Greg, and I reached over 3,100 students. One
girl was deeply affected by these issues and
not only is going veg but will also volunteer
– she was really into it. Another woman had
been veg and said she wanted to go back. Several
others mentioned being affected by the booklet.
At Hofstra University, one guy stopped to talk
and told me he was starting a vegetarian group
on campus. He is interested in leafleting, so
I directed him to VO. He said he was from Brazil,
and went veg after receiving a Compassionate
Choices there! Took his email. Good thing
I did, because I got the emails of three additional
students interested in getting active! Too many good conversations to relate from
Georgia Southern University! One woman said
she’s definitely going to go veg after
a short conversation; two women said they couldn’t
eat meat anymore after reading the Compassionate
Choices. Four more people on different
occasions told me that they read the entire
booklet and wanted more info. At Lane Community
College, a young woman said
she has not eaten meat in three months because
of a booklet. Nettie spoke with a rabbi who
invited us to speak at his synagogue. Several
people today refused booklets saying they liked
meat. I used Brian’s line: “Do you think one
night a week you could eat a vegetarian dinner?”
With one person it worked, and he left with
a Guide.
Leslie, Brian, and
I met tons of vegans and vegetarians at Mills
College. I ran into two people who told me they
had significantly changed their diet since my
visit last semester; always encouraging to hear
that. Quite a few people commented about receiving
the literature in the past and how powerful
the information is.
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