The 2015 Mad City Vegan Fest in Madison, WI was an amazing event. The place was packed which is pretty impressive for a state known for it’s dairy consumption.

By Jon Camp, Vegan Outreach Executive Vice President

Whether you’re new to vegan eating or are a long-time vegan looking to shake things up in your kitchen, eating vegan just got a lot easier, thanks to Lighter, a Boston start-up. Lighter provides a personal nutritionist who creates your custom menus and has all your groceries delivered right to your door. The company is on a mission to make healthy eating convenient, affordable, and delicious.

How it works is: You sign up for a meal plan, and once a week, Lighter delivers a week’s worth of groceries and the recipes for however many meals you selected. You can select which ingredients you don’t wish to be in your recipes, the ideal amount of prep time you’d like, and you can pause your plan for as long as you need.

Around a month ago, I decided to give this a shot. I opted for the plan that provides 9 meals a week. I asked that olives (yuck) not be included in my recipes, but that anything else was fair game, and that prep time for my average meal be 15-30 minutes. I pay $65 a week, and each Monday, a friendly individual knocks on my door with a bag full of fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, spices, and some snacks. I receive an email with my recipes for the week, and I’m all set.

Some of my favorite meals so far have “Quick Thai Chickpeas,” “Pasta Puttanesca,” and “Zesty Sweet Potatoes & Black Beans.” Not only are these meals more consistently delicious, interesting, and healthy than what I had been eating in my pre-Lighter days, they’re remarkably simple to make and I’m not having to hem and haw over what I’m going to eat or where I’m going to find the recipe. I’m a busy guy, and I’m not known for my culinary creativity. Having a variety of pre-designed healthy meals has been a big boon to my wellbeing; I feel great while on the plan, and I’ve shed a few pounds that I had been wanting to shed.

Lighter now delivers in: Atlanta, Austin, Boulder, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

To learn more, visit www.lighterculture.com.

By Victor Sjodin, Director of International Outreach

On Saturday night, June 13, Vegan Outreach held a fundraiser with nearby supporters of Vegan Outreach at Board Member Yvonne Legrice’s house in Pasadena, California. It was great to meet so many people who sacrifice for the animals and who comprise Vegan Outreach. It is really amazing to know that all the good Vegan Outreach does is because of thousands of people giving what they can to be a part of something greater. Together we are strong and an engine of social change.

There was great food and lots of socializing. Jon Camp and Jack Norris briefly spoke about what’s been going on with VO: how we are expanding to other nations, reaching more students than ever with well over a million college students reached again this spring, and the success of the new Compassionate Athlete Booklet (85,000 have been shipped out). Our new Mexico program is on pace to reach 380,000 students in its first year. Our vegan mentor program has over 200 people mentoring so far, we are getting thousands of people writing in and saying they are going vegan because of our booklets, and the new booklet designs for Your Choice and Compassionate Choices are getting a phenomenal response from students.

Kimberly Moffatt spoke briefly about what it’s like to volunteer with VO and why she does it, “I know a few hours of my life can change several dozen students lives forever.” Several attendees expressed interest in leafleting.

Jack then introduced me to speak and surprised me by saying, “and Vic Sjodin is our new, from this day forward, Director of International Outreach.” That was moving for me, as expanding our work for the animals is a life mission of mine. I spoke about how, when asked who I work for by campus security once, I answered that I work for animals trapped on factory farms. I spoke about how each booklet is not really a piece of paper to me, but a gift – an invitation to a greater consciousness, to health, to less cruelty, to sustainability, to being part of the solution.

Lastly, we asked for help in getting new programs off the ground, and the attending VO members were very generous of heart and wallet for the animals. With more funds, we are close to expanding to Europe and South America. It was a great evening on all accounts and I felt a sense of unity – that we are all united to do what we can to bring veganism to a world that desperately needs it. Thank you for being a part of Vegan Outreach! Upward, onward and plant ward!

Here’s a peek of what went on:

By Toni Okamoto

On July 8th, the ban on wild animals performing in circuses will take effect in Mexico — making them the 29th country to pass this national ban. The ban includes tigers, elephants, zebras, lions, baboons, and camels. The penalty for continuing to use them as entertainment is $225,000!

There are currently an estimated 3,500 animals who will be affected by the ban, and the Mexican government is now working on finding adequate placement for retiring animals.

By Lisa Rimmert, Donor Relations Manager

The past two months have shown me how much can be accomplished by a team of dedicated people. Thanks to more than 100 Team Vegan members and over 800 contributors, $160,000 was raised during May and June. And these funds will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of very committed supporters, meaning $320,000 will go toward outreach for animals this year!

The Team Vegan campaign was such a joy! You all came together for a cause you’re passionate about – a cause you know is important. When you easily could have said, “Someone else will do it,” you stepped up. You understood that we are stronger together than we are alone – and then you proved it. Thank you.

Only one thing could match the joy that brings me: The work we will do with the money raised! Our Outreach Coordinators and hundreds of volunteers hand out booklets by the millions – in urban and remote areas all over the world. They inspire more and more people to adopt cruelty-free lifestyles, reducing the number of animals who will suffer on factory farms.

You make this possible!

Thank you for making Team Vegan a huge success!

By Toni Okamoto

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it is HOT in Sacramento! I’m talkin’ about 100+ degrees hot. It is required to have a good deodorant! In addition to the hot weather making me sweat, I’m also training to join a dance company, training for a marathon, and cross-training with yoga … which puts my total hours of weekly exercise somewhere over 20. It would be criminal at this point in my life to live without a good quality deodorant!

That’s why Michelle Cehn from World of Vegan and I set out in search of the perfect cruelty-free products to make you smell good all day long! Watch the video to hear about our favorites!

You can find out more information about the products here:

Nubian Heritage Indian Hemp and Haitian Vetiver with Neem Oil 24 Hour Deodorant

Herban Cowboy – Deodorant Dusk

Let us know YOUR favorites in the comments below!

More than 100 Team Vegan members have raised over $130,000 since May 1, and there are only two days left!

Get in on the fun by donating today to your favorite Team Vegan member.

We’re so close to meeting our goal of $150,000 – which will all be doubled by a few very generous donors! Farmed animals need your help now – please consider donating what you can to Team Vegan today.

Giving today is:

• Easy: Even $10 helps! That’s just a couple of soy lattes!
• Safe: Our online form is secure, and we never share donor info with other groups.
• Fun: Look through a few profiles to see what I mean!
• Important: Here’s just one example of what you make possible by donating.

We have two days left to raise $150,000 for grassroots outreach for animals. Thank you for considering a donation today!

And thank you to everyone who has already contributed!