This semester, Adopt a College volunteer Kim Moffatt has leafleted 10 different schools, reaching more than 4,300 students; and longtime AAC activist Barbara Bear has leafleted five college campuses, placing booklets into the hands of over 4,000 students!

Exceptional day here at two small schools: Oxnard College and CSU Channel Islands. David [above, left] wants to go vegan, and I had a good conversation with him. Meg wants to go vegan. Hugo [above, center] took literature to give to his whole class. Victoria [above, right] took a lot of booklets to show others as well. Insane amount of readers [one, below, left].

Massive thanks to Barbara Bear for joining today and hosting us and being so generous and delightful. Kim Moffatt [below, center] was great as always.

Teresa [below, right] was veg for a long time and went vegan about a year ago after a friend showed her one of VO’s booklets. She wants to leaflet when we’re in Oxnard again.

Teresa walked out on a cat dissection even though it will mean a lower grade in the class. She also said there’s no way she’s going back to eating animals / animal products, even though she’s finding it difficult to eat vegan in Oxnard. I gave her a Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating.

There are less than two weeks left to contribute to Team Vegan and receive dollar-for-dollar matching: Choose a team member to support or make a general donation at TeamVegan.org

Your doubled donation = 2 × more booklets = 2 × more vegans = 2 × more animals spared!

By Lisa Rimmert, Donor Relations Manager

Not only is Jennifer Mennuti a generous supporter of Vegan Outreach and one of the most dedicated activists I know of, she’s also a member of Team Vegan and has been doing an incredible job raising funds for outreach. Let’s meet Jen!

Tell us about yourself, Jen.

I am VP of Operations for a Landscape Architectural Design/Build company in Boca Raton, FL, which I co-founded in 1999 following my passion for plants. When I’m not working, I enjoy sharing my love of plants by encouraging others to eat them – exclusively! Activism is my favorite hobby because I love sharing “the best thing I ever did” with others so they can experience this lifestyle as well. I’ve met so many friends volunteering in animal protection, that activism and hanging out with friends frequently have merged into one activity. I share my home with two adopted fur kids and three rescued feather kids.

Share with us the story of how you became vegan.

In 1997, I was driving down I-95 in South Florida and got behind a chicken transport truck. I pulled over and had a breakdown, and it had nothing to do with my car mechanics! I could see the birds’ feathers blowing out through the holes and their wings and legs sticking out. I thought it was so horrible that I could no longer support it, and I decided to stop eating chickens, turkeys, cows, and pigs. It was the only time I’ve seen a transport truck in South Florida in 20 years but I’m glad I saw that one!

Unfortunately, I never knew the truth about eggs, fish or dairy until I stumbled upon Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s podcast Vegetarian Food For Thought in 2008 and then decided to go vegan. Shortly after, I watched the original Peaceable Kingdom and decided to do whatever I could to make this abuse stop. I became an advocate for them whenever I could.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach?

When I first decided that I needed to get active for animals, many things I read suggested leafleting as a very effective activity and pointed toward Vegan Outreach and your booklets. I ordered a box of Compassionate Choices booklets but was too scared and introverted to hand them out, so I went to the Adopt A College website and searched for people in my area who were already leafleting. I emailed Linda Bower in Miami who happily agreed to ‘take me to school.’ When she showed me how easy it was, I became more comfortable.

Working full time doesn’t allow me to leaflet many colleges, so I try to help animals by donating money, fundraising, leafleting when I can, and cheering on the many advocates who can get out to their local colleges or travel around the country going to others. They are my heroes!

You do so much for VO – from leafleting to donating. What inspires this?

I am most inspired by the knowledge of what is happening to animals; it’s simply so horrific that I can’t stand by and do nothing. I’m constantly motivated by fellow activists who spend their time trying to lessen suffering in the world. Every Saturday night when we show factory farming footage to people on the street in Miami and they ask questions and take information, I am reminded that the general public is mostly unaware and that given the knowledge and resources, they will often make changes that result in less suffering.

What advice would you give to someone reading this who is considering adopting a vegan diet?

Give it a try because it’s probably much better than you think it will be. I dodged it for a long time because I thought vegans just ate salads and I didn’t want to do that. Once people discover the endless variety of new things to make and eat, they can still be vegan and never eat a salad. I encourage them to join vegetarian and vegan meetup.com groups to make like-minded friends and ask questions.

Finally, share with us your absolute favorite meal.

I seem to be on a quest to never repeat a dinner, since I constantly find new vegan recipes I want to try. Picking a favorite meal is difficult. If I had to survive on the proverbial deserted island with just one meal, I’d pick a simple burrito since I make one almost every morning for breakfast! I load up a multi-grain tortilla with beans, green peppers, tomatoes, avocado, and hot sauce!

Thank you, Jen!

Lisa Shapiro

1964-2015

It is with great sadness that we face the passing of Lisa Shapiro, an extraordinary friend and activist.

Lisa fought for animals with an integrity and selflessness that cannot be surpassed. Right up to her final lucid days, Lisa was doing all she could to help animals.

We will miss Lisa – but our lives have been enriched by our time with her and she will always be in our hearts and minds.

– Jack Norris

During my years of touring, when I’d need a place to stay with someone, I’d always feel like I was putting them out a bit, and I’d limit the amount of time for which I’d ask to stay. But when I’d swing through Boulder, Lisa Shapiro would encourage me to stay for as long as I could. Helping and spending time with those who helped animals was the greatest joy for her.

When last summer I was thrown a party to celebrate a career milestone, Lisa had this massive box of food sent to ensure that attendees were well-fed. And even though she didn’t have the most funds herself, she checked in with me to make sure that those who wanted to attend my party had the means to do so.

Tributes from:

John Oberg

Paul Shapiro

Seth Tibbott

Lauren Farnsworth is a member of Vegan Outreach’s Board of Directors and one of our most successful Team Vegan fundraisers. She and her new husband Steve do so much for VO, and we’re incredibly grateful to work with them to make the world better for animals. Meet Lauren!

Hi Lauren! Tell us about yourself.

Hi! I’m a writer of technical and fictional things, and I love to read, hike, and relax with my new husband and two kitties. I live and work in Silicon Valley, but I’m hoping to escape to somewhere less crowded in the future. And I’m an only child, but hopefully that doesn’t explain anything.

You mentioned your new husband. You just married Steve Sprang, another incredible VO supporter. Congratulations! Did you plan a vegan wedding?

Thanks! Yes, our wedding was vegan, from the cotton suit that my husband wore to the dinner we ate at Sanctuary Bistro in Berkeley. They made excellent mini chocolate cupcakes with chocolate and vanilla frosting. I didn’t freeze any for next year – we ate them all!

Our wedding included 10 people at beautiful and historic San Francisco City Hall. My bouquet and my husband’s boutonniere were from Whole Foods. We got our rings from McFarland Designs, which uses conflict-free gems and recycled metal. They donate a percentage of their sales to charity, and we were very surprised when we received a VO flyer in the mail with our rings! It seemed meant to be.

Share with us the story of your vegan journey.

At age 14 I looked down at my hamburger from Burger King and decided that I didn’t want to eat animals. My mother often ate vegetarian, which probably influenced me to become vegetarian. Then as a freshman at UC Davis I took a class taught by former veterinary professor Nedim Buyukmihci about many forms of animal exploitation. I went vegan thinking that I couldn’t eat bread or chocolate – quite a sacrifice for me. I was happily enlightened when a roommate in my dorm introduced me to chocolate soy milk. That was 15 years ago.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach?

It probably had something to do with the illustrious leader Jack Norris being part of the Sacramento vegan community. I hadn’t ever fundraised before, but I decided to try raising money for Team Vegan, and managed to meet my goals several years in a row. As I got to know the organization better, and truly trust and appreciate their message and approach, I started donating as well.

You do so much to support and enable VO’s work. What inspires this?

By being vegan, I make a conscious choice at every meal to affect change for animals, myself, the environment, and society as a whole. It takes many voices to create a message that is heard. I feel comfortable with VO and confident in their work, which makes me want to support them in effecting change in the world on a larger scale.

What advice would you give to someone reading this who is considering adopting a vegan diet?

#1 Try it! Sometimes all or nothing works – giving up all animal products in one day. But for many people it’s a gradual process. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Changing your diet is a learning experience and can take time and patience. If you eat a pile of pesto not knowing it included cheese, shake it off and try again next time.

#2 Use judgement. If you’re at your friend’s house all day and they make you a vegan sandwich and you notice that one of the 30 ingredients in the bread is whey, you can thank them, and then mention what your favorite bread is later, and about how you love knowing exactly what’s in your food. My point is that while 100% commitment to veganism is awesome, and I support that, sometimes you can make a bigger difference by making it clear that being vegan is doable.

#3 Indulge a little! If you’re trying to start eating vegan, and also change the style of food (fries to salad), you can let up a little. Eat some vegan ice cream, or get some fries if that helps you make the transition. I’m not advocating junk food all the time, but you can indulge once in a while and remain vegan.

Finally, share with us your absolute favorite meal.

Picking one is too much to ask! Strawberry shortcake is high on the list…cake, pureed strawberries, cream. Macaroni and cheese. And chocolate of course.

Thank you, Lauren, and congratulations again to you and Steve!

Donate to Lauren’s Team Vegan page here.

Welcome to another edition of our Supporter Spotlight posts!

Keyur and Shilpa Shah are vegan business owners who do so much for animals, including support Vegan Outreach’s grassroots activism around the world. Meet the Shahs!

Tell us about yourselves, Keyur and Shilpa.

We are an energetic family of five! A perfect weekend would include a morning walk with the kids and our rescue dog, some Frisbee football in the afternoon, and hosting friends and family for dinner in the evening.

Share with us the story of your “vegan journeys.”

It all started with the saying “Live and let live.” That philosophy stuck with us, and we realized we couldn’t make another being suffer for our benefit. Once we let go of the thought that we were giving up our favorite foods, it was super easy to adjust our diets. We started thinking of it more as a choice to try new foods, and we actually began to eat more variety than ever before. To be perfectly honest, the first 2 years were difficult. It felt like withdrawal, it felt like we didn’t fit in. But then we began to feel confident in our choices and didn’t impose ourselves on others. That’s when we became more accepted while also being a positive influence in many others’ decisions to take the same journey! Here we are 9 years later…man does time fly!

People always mention how ironic it is that animals were never really Keyur’s thing. He never liked the idea of a pet, or fur around the house. But something about the process of breeding, killing, and eating them was very hurtful to him. So even though animals aren’t cute and cuddly in Keyur’s eyes, suffering for any being can’t be justified. Animals do deserve the same chance at life we do.

Shilpa’s always had a connection with animals. She’s loved the idea to care for one but felt sad with the idea of breeding. We took a dog off death row and he’s been a joy to have!

Tell us about your vegan-owned business!

We were married in 2002 on a tight budget, so we hand made our invitations. We got so many inquiries of where we purchased them that we decided to open our own online business, www.paperandmore.com. We focus on high quality, budget friendly specialty papers, pocket cards, envelopes, and accessories. We personally take care of our customers from start to finish. We’re excited to now offer print services too.

We take pride in the fact that we fill orders quickly while also providing each customer individual attention. We work together with our customers as a team to create exactly what they are looking for to make their special day a classy event!

How did you first get involved with Vegan Outreach?

We ran across Jack Norris hosting a booth at a Veg Fest in 2007. We were new to vegan eating and were looking into financially supporting animals. VO’s booklets popped out to us and we loved the idea of printing these leaflets and handing them out to students…best idea ever! Since then we’ve been close friends with Jack and Team VO!

You’ve supported VO for years. What inspires this?

Just the simpleness…the honesty, the compassion, the collaboration. No job is too small for even the President of VO. They have it worked out to where it all just makes good, honest sense. We know our hard earned money is going straight to helping the animals.

What advice would you give to someone reading this who is considering adopting a vegan diet?

Believe in yourself. Remind yourself the reasons you thought to explore this road. Be kind and forgiving to yourself. And most of all, have fun, enjoy all the new foods, and meet more like minded people!

Finally, share with us your absolute favorite meal.

Hmm…goodness, we can’t choose just one! We always have to toss a coin on deciding to go eat falafel or Thai food.

Thank you, Keyur and Shilpa Shah, for all you do for animals!

By Toni Okamoto

One of my favorite female artists has officially announced her vegan diet on Good Morning America this week! Although she is promoting veganism for health reasons, I believe it is a good step towards introducing her millions of fans to a life that reduces animal suffering.

Ten years ago I became vegetarian specifically to enhance my speed and strength in running, and now I dedicate my life to animal rights. Even though it started out as a health diet change for me, it evolved into something so much more. We can hope the same for Beyonce, and for now, support her promotion of the vegan diet to the masses!

This semester, VO Outreach Coordinator Steven Litrov has leafleted 36 different schools, placing booklets into the hands of more than 25,000 students!

John Sakars, Alex Greenwood, Serena Catania, and I had a pretty huge record-breaking day at the University of Western Ontario! Lots of great interactions from professors and students alike.

Alex spoke with a student who previously struggled as a vegan and was pleased to get a Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating and some suggestions. We both spoke to a sociology professor [below, left] who just had someone give a greatly received presentation on factory farming in her class, and she is interested in trying it herself with the help of the Guide and her vegan daughter and granddaughter! John spoke with a student towards the end of the day who concluded they were ready to make the switch. And I briefly spoke with a professor [below, right] who said he’s been using these booklets in his class for years to bring awareness to the ethical dilemma of eating animals, so I gave him some more!

To raise funds for next semester’s outreach, Steven will bike 50 miles for each donation made to his Team Vegan page and leaflet wherever he goes!

Through the end of June, 75% of your purchase of select prints and paintings from the Art from the Heart collection will be donated to Vegan Outreach. Let’s meet the person behind this art and this generous donation, Deidra Smith.

Tell us about yourself and your art, Deidra.

I grew up in Indiana. My art began as childhood portraits of Pagesus, and Flicka from the book “My Friend Flicka,” because my favorite books were about animals. When I graduated college, I studied with an artist named Riley Bertram, in Brown County, which is known for art. He offered to show my work in his gallery.

After college I decided I wanted to be close to Rocky Mountain wildlife. But first, I toured Kenya with The Humane Society of the United States. After that immersion in wildlife, I quickly moved to Colorado and spent many weekends in Rocky Mountain National Park. I never wanted to live anywhere else. The birds and squirrels I feed, and the cats and dog who needed a home, share mine in Loveland, east of the Park. Nearby lakes mean we’re also blessed with large birds from egrets to pelicans. We even had a moose staying by the lake one summer.

How did you come to be vegan?

I stopped eating meat because my parents took me to get a turkey for Thanksgiving, and I realized people were beheading live animals. I probably learned about dairy and egg production from John Robbins’ books Diet for a New America and May All Be Fed: a Diet for a New World. I saw John speak in Boulder, CO, and got the Denver PBS station to air his video. There was a lot of discrimination against vegetarians back then, and Robbins’ presentation was one of the best times of my life. He included a meal and talked about global ramifications of using animals’ bodies in food production.

Tell us about your fundraiser for Vegan Outreach.

From global warming to torture to pollution to disease, there’s no better way to improve and save life on Earth than by helping people become vegan. I’m trying to use my art to help do that.

Choosing to be vegan has the power to reach far beyond your life and time. By deciding to be vegan, you stand up for sustainability over extinction, you speak out for kindness over cruelty, and you choose hope over despair. Supporting Vegan Outreach is the ultimate declaration of hope that a just, safe and peaceful world is possible for all.

I’ve painted a portrait of Little Tyke, the real-life lion who woke up the world by refusing to eat meat. I hope you will support Vegan Outreach and enjoy these rare paintings and prints of Little Tyke and her friend Becky the lamb, along with the story of their friendship. You can also choose from a gallery of animal portraits and prints showing that love dwells in every heart. For this special fundraiser, you may also request a painting of your own companion animal or a subject not yet in the gallery.

Check out Deidra’s Art From The Heart here. Thank you, Deidra!

This semester, Vegan Outreach’s Australia & New Zealand Outreach Coordinator, Sam Tucker, has leafleted 34 different schools, placing booklets into the hands of more than 26,000 students!

Before arriving to the University of Queensland, I had been in contact with the UQ Veg Society and they had organized a bake sale and stall for the day. The Veg Society was full of awesome people; Joaquina and Cam helped leaflet with me for a bit but mostly focused on conversations with people. This actually worked really well because that way I could focus on getting the basic information to as many people as possible, and those who wanted to know more could talk to the UQ Veg Society.

A lot of people actually went to the stall after reading through the booklet, to ask about things like how to get all the nutrients they need on a vegan diet, etc. Cam was nailing the conversations: I overheard him talking to a couple of guys who said they only ate “local meat” – about the conditions on free-range farms, how animals are still killed either way, etc. – and the guys seemed really receptive.

I came home to emails from people asking for a Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating, saying they got a booklet on campus and wanted help with taking the next step towards a cruelty-free diet. Overall, having the stall and bake sale worked really well as we could engage people at all different levels and even show them how delicious vegan food can really be.

Help create more vegans: Donate to Team Vegan and receive dollar-for-dollar matching today!

By Lisa Rimmert, Donor Relations Manager

Of all the tasty vegan cheeses on the market these days, Miyoko’s Kitchen cheeses are definitely among my favorites. On a trip to San Francisco a few months ago, I got to try several of their flavors, and I was blown away!

Luckily, Miyoko’s cheeses are available for online order anywhere in the U.S. – and what’s even more lucky is that during June, orders will support the work of Vegan Outreach!

Our friends at Miyoko’s Kitchen will donate 1% of online sales to VO. So you can buy cheese and support grassroots animal activism at the same time!

As if that wasn’t enough! Order Miyoko’s cheeses for 15% off this month, using the discount code VO15. I’m definitely placing my order soon, starting with the Double Cream Sundried Tomato Garlic (pictured above). Or maybe the Aged English Smoked Farmhouse. Or the Classic Double Cream Chive. Or…

Order your vegan cheese now from Miyoko’s Kitchen. All products are free of animal products and gluten, and made from organic ingredients. Thank you for supporting Vegan Outreach, and enjoy!