We’re putting a spin on our Activist Profile series by introducing not just one Outreach Coordinator, but an entire family of passionate animal advocates. Greater New Mexico Community Events Coordinator, Victor Flores, his wife, Karla Reyes, and four children, Adrian, Jovana, Marina, and Adriana, have done amazing work for VO since first getting involved as volunteers in spring 2016. From community organizing to leafleting, the passion this family has for helping animals is beyond compare.

Combined, this family has leafleted at 21 campuses and distributed 21,856 leaflets. Let’s get to know them a little bit better!

Where does your family currently live, and what do you do as the Greater New Mexico Community Events Coordinator?

Victor Flores: We live in the mountain town of Tijeras, NM, about 20 minutes outside of Albuquerque, NM. As Greater New Mexico Community Events Coordinator, my job is to work with local communities to provide a variety of events that promote and educate on vegan living.

We host meals and food sampling events, show Animal Equality’s iAnimal Virtual Reality footage, and collaborate with other local organizations. We also leaflet universities and colleges in New Mexico and parts of Texas.

What got your family interested in animal rights and veganism?

Karla Reyes: A few years ago, I came across videos online that showed the treatment of animals in farms and slaughterhouses. From that moment on, I decided that my family couldn’t support the exploitation of animals for food or any other reason. I’d always taught my children to treat animals with kindness, so it was only natural that they didn’t want to continue eating animals after what we had learned.

I first volunteered to leaflet with Vegan Outreach in the Spring of 2016 at the University of Texas in El Paso, TX. Victor came on board and had the idea to start a local support group for vegans and vegetarians. Together, we started participating in various local events doing outreach, organizing potlucks, vegan food samplings, community meals, and viewings of vegan documentaries.

We continue to work together in our outreach efforts. I help Victor with the events he plans for Vegan Outreach and he helps me with my projects.

How has your family played a role in the work you do for VO?

Victor: From the beginning, our outreach has been a family effort. Karla actively participates in the planning and organizing of the events we host. And our children have always been an important part of everything we do. They contribute with ideas and help with different activities. My family’s support is extremely important. When we have doubts about a certain project or idea, we rely on each other to figure out the best way to go about it.

Do you have a favorite family outreach experience?

Karla: I have several favorite family outreach moments, especially when my kids have come out with me to leaflet at the University of Texas, El Paso and Central New Mexico Community College.

Victor: Working the Red and Green VegFest in Albuquerque, NM as a family was great, as well as several other events. The Mac Down in Santa Fe, NM was a super busy and fun event, with our son as DJ Seitan and our daughters as Flowers for Animals. The Conscious Eating and Hip Hop event was also one of my favorites!

The kids’ favorite event was the Mexican-American Community Event at El Palote Panaderia in Dallas, TX.

What have you found to be the most difficult and rewarding parts of your outreach?

Karla: I realize that we’re bringing awareness to others with a message that is not always welcome. Countering others’ beliefs that we’re entitled to use animals is one of the most difficult topics I deal with. I think the key is to not lose sight of our goal and to do the best we can to get people to make compassionate choices. It feels very rewarding when I see someone willing to change.

Victor: The most difficult thing is getting our foot in the well-established groups in the local communities. Getting over the stereotypes is a hurdle sometimes. The most rewarding thing is seeing people enjoy vegan food and showing that we don’t need animals to enjoy what we eat.

Having my family around is always great, and sharing our story as a family has always been really impactful for a lot of other people who are considering going vegan.

A big thanks to Karla, Victor, and their kids for demonstrating the power of familial activism!

For readers in New Mexico and Texas, be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook Events page—this vegan family might be coming through your area to host an outreach event or leaflet a college campus!

The post The Flores Family appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Continuing our activist profile series, today we’re going to learn more about Miguel Marrón. In fall 2017—his first semester as a traveling Outreach Coordinator—Miguel leafleted 47 schools and handed out 47,885 leaflets. He just kicked off his spring leafleting tour, and he’s already handed out 12,500 leaflets.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Northern Utah, and I live on the road.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I went vegetarian shortly after a grade school field trip where the class was taken into the mountains and instructed to kill chickens with our hands and pocket knives. Five or six chickens were let loose from cages and chased by a pack of about 50 kids. I remember pushing one of my classmates to the ground so that one of the chickens would have a chance to escape. I soon realized that this sort of thing must be happening all the time in order for us to be eating chicken every night at home.

When I was 17 years old, I saw Meet Your Meat at a Goldfinger concert. I researched what I saw and realized that going vegan would bring my actions into better alignment with my values and beliefs of not harming others.

For about five years, I didn’t know any other vegans. Honestly, I think a big part of why I got into activism was to meet other vegans. What keeps me an activist is seeing the results of our efforts and knowing that we’re making a difference. I often get exhilarated when I notice how fast and effective it is to get the animal rights message out to the masses with things like leafleting and pay-per-view.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I got involved with Vegan Outreach around 2010. I started Animal Unanimity, an animal rights student organization at Weber State University. I brought back VO literature from the Animal Rights National Conference in DC. After I distributed all the literature I had, I started ordering literature and leafleting regularly in Ogden, UT.

What got me interested in VO specifically is how straightforward and fact-based the booklets are. I’ve found leafleting to be very exhilarating. It’s a really amazing way to bring this message to many people very quickly.

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

It’s too hard to choose just one. I’m overwhelmed at how generous the volunteers and hosts have been to me. I’ve been welcomed into the homes of total strangers and met so many amazing people!

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

In some ways, my life hasn’t changed much since I’ve been on the road leafleting. I still enjoy regular yoga and jogging. I also enjoy reading, writing in my journal, and playing Nintendo. Every chance I have, I go into nature and try to identify the plants and mushrooms that I see.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

It’s really cool once an entire campus community has been saturated with VO leaflets. I notice that the topic is on everyone’s minds. I enjoy walking around and listening to students discuss these issues with each other.

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

I enjoy Treeline Cheese.

The post Miguel Marrón appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Keeping up with our series of activist profiles, let’s get to know Vegan Outreach volunteer and intern, Joselyn Aguilar! We first met Joselyn in Part I of our Spring 2017 Top Leafleters series, but now we get to learn a little bit more about her and her vegan journey.

Joselyn traveled with Vegan Outreach’s Mexico Outreach Coordinator, Emmanuel Márquez, during the spring—leafleting at 44 schools and distributing 25,284 leaflets!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Mexico, and I live in Mexico City.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I’ve always loved animals, but it wasn’t until my partner, Francisco, and I rescued a neglected kitten that I shifted my perspective on farmed animals. The kitten—who we named Lithium—was malnourished when we took her in, and it made me very sad that her prior family didn’t take care of her.

Not long after adopting Lithium, I saw a disturbing video where dogs were being killed for food. At one point in the video, I had to close my eyes because of the images on the screen and the first thing that came to mind was Lithium. I thought to myself, “How can I get so angry at people who mistreat dogs and cats, but I can pay someone to kill a cow?” That’s when I went vegetarian, and I went vegan about a year after that.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

A few years ago, Emmanuel Márquez, Vegan Outreach’s Mexico Outreach Coordinator, posted on a local vegan group’s Facebook page, saying that he was looking for outreach volunteers in Mexico City. I met up with Emmanuel and former Vegan Outreach intern, Carlos Contreras, at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México to help leaflet. Now, every time Emmanuel comes to Mexico City to leaflet, he stays at my house—to save money on lodging costs—and I go out and leaflet with him whenever I can.

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

When Emmanuel and I were in the state of Aguascalientes last March, a student approached us to ask for a leaflet. He said he was happy we were passing out information about animals and that he was in the process of going vegan. He told me, “At first I wanted to go vegan because of the pollution the meat industry produces, but when I found out how animals are treated on factory farms, I went vegan for them.”

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I love reading, flying kites, watching horror movies, and baking. For my birthday, I decided to do a personal challenge of watercolor painting for 365 days. So far, I’m loving it!

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

l always believed in the power of leafleting, but it wasn’t until I did it myself that I saw the real effect it has on people. Since I’ve started leafleting, I’ve met several people who’d gone vegetarian or vegan because of a booklet they’d received from Vegan Outreach.

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

Foreign vegan food products I love are Tofutti’s cream cheese and sour cream. The Mexican vegan food product I love is made by a very small company—so small they don’t have a website yet. I like their Veganisse, which is vegan cheese made out of coconuts, potatoes, and cashews.

The post Joselyn Aguilar appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Vegan Outreach Intern Alexis Clark. A New Jersey native, Alexis was asked to leaflet colleges in her home state, as well as in New York City and Long Island, NY. To date, she’s distributed over 12,000 booklets!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m originally from Wall, NJ. And after leaving for a few years to attend various colleges, I’m back for the time being.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I started removing animal products during my first year of college when I realized how the food we eat affects not just our physical health, but our mental health as well. Although my original motivation was health, once I made the full transition I was ready to open my mind up to the ethical reasons of why veganism is necessary if we truly love animals and want a more peaceful world.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I actually found out about Vegan Outreach when I received a leaflet during my first year at Rutgers University! Once I became vegan, I immediately wanted to join the fight to end animal suffering. I contacted Vegan Outreach to ask about internships, and I was put in contact with Outreach Coordinator Kimberly Moffatt, and I joined her at several New Jersey schools for two weeks as a volunteer. Now I’m on my own tour!

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

By far the best moment I’ve had leafleting was when I gave a leaflet to a mother and her young son. They read the information and told me they were both going to stop eating meat. It was just so encouraging as an animal rights activist to see a mother give her child such important information at such a young age, knowing that he could make the connection.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I love to travel! I’m currently planning a six-month cross-country trip for next year—I plan to visit a bunch of animal sanctuaries. I’ve been spending my spare time researching how to convert a cargo van into a livable space. I also paint!

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

It’s such a rewarding experience knowing that you’re getting information out to people who might have no idea what’s going on inside the factory farming industry.

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

Look out for NUMU Vegan Cheese! It isn’t currently available in stores, but you can have it on pizza at a number of restaurants in NYC—check out NUMU’s Instagram for a list. If substituting cheese is something you’re worried about, I’m telling you, you’ll never miss real cheese again.

The post Alexis Clark appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I am from Libertyville, IL, and am currently living there.

What are your favorite things to do outside of leafleting?

I enjoy relaxing in nature, hanging out with my family and friends, contemplating sustainable future cities, and playing with my cats.

Who has been / is a major influence in your life and why?

Some of the people I look up to and influence me are Gene Baur, Paul Watson, Robert Cheeke, Peter Hammarstedt, Matt Ball, Jack Norris, and Jacque Fresco.

My mom is one of the biggest influences and one of the reasons I am vegan and an activist. Because we have such a dynamic family, I realized that I didn’t want to destroy any other family, regardless of what species they were.

How long have you been involved in animal rights and how did you get interested?

I was raised vegetarian and my family always had animals around our house, so needless to say, animals were a big part of my life from early on. My sister Jamie went vegan after watching a video of male chicks being ground up alive at hatcheries. I wanted to go vegan, but I thought it would be nearly impossible for me, because I am gluten free as well. Feeling the inconsistency of my values and not acting on them, I was one of the “defensive non-vegans.” I jokingly mocked my sister for being vegan to make myself feel better about my actions. Jamie was never rude back to me, but instead was encouraging. Four years ago (January 6, 2010) I decided I was done feeling guilty about what I ate, so I went vegan. I was surprised how simple it is to be vegan and gluten free!

The reason I mentioned that I had been defensive and rude about veganism is to remind any activist reading this that it is essential to always remain calm and polite to people hostile to veganism. Jamie could have been rude back; if she had been, I likely wouldn’t be vegan, let alone an activist. Sometimes the most defensive people are the closest to changing!

What made you decide to start leafleting? / Why do you leaflet?

I was playing around with different kinds of activism for a while. Some of it didn’t seem very effective. I probably started leafleting with Mercy For Animals around 2011. I leafleted periodically for a while until the fall 2012 semester. That’s when I became good friends with Rachel Shippee. We leafleted a lot together during that semester and she really pushed me to be a better and more effective activist!

I leaflet because it is one of the simplest and most effective things we can do to help our fellow earthlings. There are studies that back up that claim too!

What was your most positive leafleting experience?

I have had so many positive experiences while leafleting so it’s hard to pick just one, but whenever someone tells me that they are going veg or have reduced their meat consumption it’s always awesome to hear!

What would you say to individuals hesitant about leafleting?

I used to be nervous before leafleting, too; but it’s not about me. It’s about the animals suffering and unnecessarily dying. You have an unbelievable potential to be involved in one of the largest social justice movements of all time. It’s so much better to be the change, than to just hear about it! One more thing to consider is, if you don’t get active for the animals, no one else will take your place. The animals need you to get involved!

The post John Deetjen appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Activist Profile: August 12, 2015

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I grew up in the UK but have lived pretty much all my adult life in Canada. I currently live in Toronto with my three rescue cats.

What got you interested in going vegan?

Going vegan was a long process from early childhood to young adulthood. I always liked animals and didn’t want to do anything to hurt them. At the age of about five the penny really dropped when I came face to face with the turkey carcass that my family had bought for Christmas dinner. I can remember looking up to the animal on the counter and the realization sinking in that this was a real animal, and it was just because of us that they had been killed. I didn’t want to take part but I also knew that from my parents’ point of view this was the most important part of the most important meal of the year and they would have been very upset if I didn’t eat any of it. I think I went along with it that day but was a meat-avoider throughout my childhood. At about age 16 I started talking about it with a friend, and two others who were lacto-ovo vegetarians. I tried that out while my parents were on vacation for a couple of weeks the summer I turned 17, as I wanted to make sure I could do it before making an announcement. At that time I thought I was doing everything I could to avoid harming animals. I avoided all meat, read ingredients (in those days this meant avoiding many packaged foods) and when I saw free range eggs for sale I avoided buying non-free range. I can remember thinking, “If only there was something like a rule book that would tell you what is ok!” Pre-internet, you pretty much had to figure it out for yourself. After I came to Canada in 1988 I looked for local animal rights groups to get involved with. The issues we worked on were mostly fur, seal hunt, and companion animals. Most of those people were also lacto-ovo vegetarian, I think, and a few were vegan, but we didn’t talk about food issues much. By 1990, I had heard more about veganism and when I came across an early vegan cookbook, The Cookbook for People Who Love Animals, I never looked back.

How did you first get involved with Vegan Outreach?

I first heard Vegan Outreach mentioned in Erik Marcus’ blog on vegan.com in December of 2008. I went to the website and read everything on it with great interest as it all made so much sense. I had slacked off on previous animal rights efforts (things like the occasional fur demo) because it didn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference. Vegan Outreach’s focus on making the biggest change possible for animals and the idea of leafleting being something that anyone can do any time without having to organize a big event, and that the more you do the more effective you are were big draws. At first, though, I thought I would be terrible at outreach and worried that I might be so bad at talking to the public that I might even do more harm than good. I really liked the whole idea though so I sent in a donation. Shortly after that I was going through back episodes of vegan.com podcasts. On one of them was Joe Espinosa talking about his experiences leafleting with Vegan Outreach, and how he does it as an introvert. This made me think that if Joe could do it, then maybe I could at least give it a try too. I received my first box of 300 not sure if I would ever get through them. But it turns out that it is easier than you think!

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment?

It’s hard to pick just one. I’ve had people who have worked in the industry say that the leaflets are bang on. Some who come back after reading it to say they will make changes. And with leafleting the same local schools repeatedly you sometimes see people again from previous occasions and you can see how they are progressing, which is always nice. It’s also been great meeting other leafleters and working with them – Vegan Outreach people are the best!

You’re a musician, right? What do you play?

Yes, I sing in a community chorus of about 100 people. As well as having a lot of fun making music, it’s a great way to interact with people in the non-vegan world. I wear vegan and animal-friendly message wear a lot and many of these people are also friends on social media so they see my posts, so I have become the go-to person for any veg or animal-related questions and some have said they have been influenced to make changes as a result. It’s also good to have something fun and different in my life. I have also played piano since I was a child, and have picked up a bit of guitar, and have fun making my own songs and posting them on YouTube.

You self-identify as an introvert. How have you managed to be such a successful leafleter, and what would you say to fellow introverts who might be hesitant to get out and leaflet?

I definitely had doubts myself at first, but leafleting and introversion go together better than you would expect. Many prolific leafleters are introverts. In some ways it actually speaks to introvert strengths of self-motivation and dedication to the job and being able to do things without having to be in a big group. Making a plan to leaflet on a specific date helps. Any nervous feelings will wear off quickly once you get going. People are very nice, they either take the leaflet, politely decline it or just ignore you, which are all fine. It’s very rare that anyone is antagonistic. You can say a set line like “Info to help animals” as you offer the leaflet or just smile, either seems to work. Occasionally someone will ask a question, but then you are just talking one on one so it’s not as if you have to suddenly address a crowd. It’s usually something straightforward that is easy to answer, but if you don’t know the answer you can always tell them to go to a website. And even if you do feel a bit nervous at first, do it anyway – the animals need us!

The post Alex Greenwood appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we’ll get to know Sean Hennessy. Sean may be new to leafleting, but he’s quickly becoming a pro! In the newly created position of Greater Ohio Outreach Coordinator, Sean has already passed out 12,385 leaflets at 15 different schools. Sean went from being a mentor with VO’s Vegan Mentor Program to having a full-time job of saving animals. Let’s hear how he did it!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I grew up near Chicago, IL in a sleepy little town called Riverside. I currently live in Columbus, OH.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I’ve always loved animals, but I used to love meat too. Then the summer before I started college, I was eating a chicken sandwich at home when I started thinking in depth about how that slice of meat was at one point part of a cute little baby chick. It seemed disgusting—I spat it out and went vegetarian that day.

About five months later, I realized I didn’t need eggs or dairy products either. Most egg-laying hens and dairy cows are slaughtered well before the end of their natural lifespan just for the sake of profits, which is pretty messed up and something I don’t want to support with my money.

In college, I joined my university’s animal rights club and I’ve been an advocate ever since. We can live healthy and more ecologically sustainable lives on a delicious and affordable plant-based diet.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I got involved with Vegan Outreach when I became a mentor in the Vegan Mentor Program during grad school.

It’s a great program and I really enjoy helping people shift towards a plant-based diet. I dove into leafleting while volunteering with groups like Mercy For Animals and writing my master’s thesis on the impact of vegan leafleting.

I received $4,700 in funding from my university’s student sustainability committee for a randomized controlled trial where I designed and printed two versions of my own leaflet. I gave people incentives to take a baseline survey, as well as a follow-up survey that investigated whether they reduced their consumption of animal products within three weeks after receiving a leaflet (as compared to a control group that didn’t receive a leaflet).

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

When I was leafleting at Wright State University in Ohio, one student told me he was trying to eat vegan, but wasn’t sure how to get enough vitamin B12. I explained that because vitamin B12 is generated by bacteria, the most efficient way to get it is from a supplement—rather than slaughtering an animal to get B12 from meat, for example.

I also told him about the specific supplement I take. He was genuinely grateful that I took a minute to speak with him, so it made me realize that not only are we inspiring new people to go vegan, we’re also helping current vegans stick with their diet.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I like to hang out with friends and watch TV.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

Don’t hesitate to contact Vegan Outreach if you’re interested in volunteering with one of our staffers when they come to your town for leafleting!

And in the meantime, you can also order your own leaflets on the VO website for a small suggested donation.

What is your favorite vegan food product?

Gardein’s Ultimate Beefless Burger! They’re so good!

The post Sean Hennessy appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Vegan Outreach’s Mexico Outreach Coordinator, Emmanuel Marquez. Since he began in January 2015 as our first full-time Outreach Coordinator in Mexico, Emmanuel has been an invaluable asset to the Vegan Outreach team. On the first stop of his initial tour, he had a record-breaking day at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, passing out 5,500 booklets in one session! Emmanuel has now leafleted 137 different schools, reaching more than 144,000 students. Take a moment to get to know Emmanuel a little better below.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Monterrey, Mexico, and I live there as well.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

Growing up, I constantly shared my home with dogs, fish, hamsters, and many other animals. I learned to love all of them – even insects, reptiles, and others that many people don’t like. Some years ago, I saw a video on the Internet about factory farming. I was shocked and outraged, and I decided to change my diet immediately. I also felt the urge to share what I had just learned. As soon as I finished watching the video, I showed it to my brothers, and they are now vegan.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I started to get involved with different kinds of activities with local groups to help animals, such as demonstrations and signing petitions. As a result, I learned about the Animal Rights National Conference in the US, and I attended for the first time in 2013. There, I met Victor Sjodin, Director of Outreach for VO. Victor was about to begin a tour in Mexico, and I volunteered to help him in my hometown. We visited the main universities in Mexico and had a very positive response. Later, I was offered a position with Vegan Outreach as an Outreach Coordinator traveling all over Mexico, visiting universities to speak up for farmed animals, and here we are.

How is the response to VO literature in Mexico?

It is wonderful. When I’m on tour, almost every day I get to meet someone who is interested in changing their eating habits to help animals, thanks to a leaflet they’ve received from us. It’s sometimes overwhelming to see so many students reading the booklets on a campus we are visiting!

Tell us what you like about leafleting.

I love leafleting because it is a very simple and effective way to help animals and to change people’s lives. Everyone should give it a try, even if you are introverted. I used to be hesitant about doing it on my own since I’m naturally shy, but after doing it for some time, it has helped me to be more confident in general and better at interacting with people. It is easier than it looks and the more you do it, the easier it gets. Leafleting with a friend and smiling always helps.

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

I have different moments that I like a lot, but I think my favorite was when I was visiting the Tech Institute of Querétaro with Carlos Contreras. Our day was made when a guy named Luis [below] was standing with his guitar very close to us, waiting for someone outside the main gate; we gave him a leaflet, and he read it completely while we kept leafleting. After he finished, I approached him and asked for his thoughts about it, and he said “I’m not eating meat anymore” right away! We had a long talk with him about dairy and eggs and gave him some advice on how to make the transition to veg easier and more likely to last. It was one of those times where you get to see the effect of leafleting on people firsthand – there are many people who react like Luis when they receive a leaflet, but you don’t get to see them.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I like to watch movies, spend time with friends and family, go hiking, visit museums, attend concerts, and play video games.

I’m also proud to share that my family runs a vegan taco business. My older brother Eleazar started it almost three years ago. Now my parents, Eliazar and Mary, and my younger brother Isaac all sell them in farmers’ markets and at other events, and cater as well. They are made of oat chicharron, amaranth picadillo, beans, and potatoes. I love to see people enjoy them. Vegans and non-vegans go wherever they are sold to eat delicious and accessible plant-based food.

The post Emmanuel Marquez appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Vegan Outreach’s Canada Outreach Coordinator, Jevranne—”Jev”—Martel. This is Jev’s first semester leafleting for Vegan Outreach, and her work has been nothing less than impressive! She’s been to more than 30 college campuses this fall and has distributed over 28,000 booklets!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was raised in Portage la Prairie, MB, which is a small farming community. I moved to Ottawa, ON when I was out of school to explore and find a place of my own that I could call home. I adore Ottawa—it’s a beautiful city with a ton of nature and water everywhere.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I’d been vegetarian for over 8 years. I went vegetarian because I felt better knowing no animals were dying for me, but I didn’t do the research to find out what else was happening.

Over the years, I’d embarked on a spiritual journey where I was meditating more regularly and focusing on health and fitness. As a result, I started noticing major shifts in my body. These shifts made me more aware of my body and what was happening after eating certain foods.

One day, I had a major shift and I felt I had to do more research on veganism. I came across the “Best Speech You Will Ever Hear” by Gary Yourofsky. I became vegan and an animal rights activist immediately after hearing that speech.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I got involved in leafleting and doing outreach three and a half years ago. I noticed there weren’t as many outreach events being held as I would’ve liked, so I decided to organize a few on my own and get volunteers out there with me as often as I could.

I would organize a good number of events, using different outreach techniques, and I’d hand out whatever literature that I had on hand. When I came across Vegan Outreach booklets, I thought they were perfect! I would’ve loved to use them all the time, but due to a lack of funds—to ship them to Canada from the U.S.—I couldn’t afford to. [Editor’s note: Thanks to a generous donor, we currently are able to cover most shipping to Canada for those who cannot donate the shipping costs.]

A couple years later, much to my surprise, I got an amazing opportunity to work for Vegan Outreach and hand out as much of their literature as possible. I feel so grateful and happy every day!

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

One time I had someone trying to give me a hard time. No matter what I brought up, he had an answer for it. Throughout the whole conversation, I was giving him some really good questions to sit on and I kept a very positive attitude. At the end of our conversation, he admitted to me that when he talks to vegans he usually goes out of his way to get a reaction, but he said my composure and delivery was really great. He ended up taking a booklet, telling me to keep up the good work, and he said he’d look into the issues further.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I’m typically sidewalk chalking, hanging posters, doing a protest, demonstration, or doing an event of some kind for an animal rights issue. Animal rights activism is my life, and it always will be. I never mind putting aside time for the animals.

I also enjoy being in nature, going for bike rides with friends and family, meditating by the water, and camping when I can.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

Have fun with it—bring your personality to the mix. Being genuine will attract more people and you’ll hand out more information.

Also, don’t be scared to approach people and ask thought-provoking questions. I generate so many conversations with people that have the time, but aren’t feeling forced to stay and talk. I always tell them that I value their time, and if they don’t have time to stay and talk I let them know that’s okay. This usually intrigues them to engage in a conversation.

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

I love the tofu nuggets made by La Soyarie. It’s my go to “junk food” snack or meal. It’s super simple and super satisfying!

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Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Philadelphia, PA. Calling Miami, FL home for the last 12 years now.

What are your favorite things to do outside of leafleting?

I like playing reggae music, as well as outdoorsy stuff like hiking in the Everglades, biking with Critical Mass, and kayaking in the Florida Keys.

Who is a major influence in your life?

My grandmother Enez Mitzkewich was a big influence, showing me from an early age that supporting animal welfare and environmental issues was important. She always had a stack of donation envelopes piled on her kitchen table that reminded me that even though you may not have a lot of money to spare, there were things that were worth supporting with what you could. It was through her support of groups like PETA and Greenpeace for example, that I came to know the other main influence I’ve got to credit, Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd. He was the first to show me that animal welfare and animal rights were not only important to help, but were issues that needed people to care enough to dedicate their lives to supporting.

How long have you been involved in animal rights and how did you get interested?

I first began supporting animals by simply donating to groups like my grandmother had. Then around 1998, I began volunteering (with more environmental and conservation issues in mind), canvassing for Greenpeace and taking part in civil disobedience actions by groups like Rainforest Action Network. Eventually I felt the need to become more focused to what were my core interests in my volunteering, deciding then to support animal causes primarily. At the FARM AR conference in 2008, I had my eyes opened to the prime necessity of farm animal issues and forever went vegan then and there. It was two years later at the same conference I decided that the most effective means to addressing the issue was direct advocacy.

What made you decide to start leafleting?

Trying many different forms of activism for years with little tangible effect, I began to think that a more direct form of advocacy was what was needed. With corporations and our government less and less responsive to the public, it occurred to me that convincing individuals of their own involvement in animal suffering was the way to go. People can then discover the contribution they’re making to this, and also their own leverage to change their beliefs and the world for the better. Convincing people of the importance of their choices, and getting them to boycott the industries making their profits off animal exploitation will be the dynamic that will create the biggest difference for animals. Leafleting to me is the most effective means to this end.

What was your most positive leafleting experience and why?

Every time I get out and can get any single person to seriously consider going vegan is, for me, as positive as it gets. Every time I see a person stop what they are doing and read a leaflet – that is the reason I keep doing this, and will continue.

What would you say to individuals hesitant about leafleting?

Join the club! Being hesitant is a condition I think I was probably born with. To get over this, every time I arrive on a campus I take a good 15-minute walk around to get a feeling for the students and their activities. After I’m usually feeling calmer, and after reminding myself of the importance of the information we’re there to share, it gets easier to dive in. It only takes the first leaflet being accepted and from there, the rest is all vegan gravy.

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