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!

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!

Since May 1st, the dedicated members of Team Vegan have raised over $123,000 for animals. We are so close to reaching our goal of $150,000, which will be doubled to total $300,000! But we only have one week left, and we need your help now to expand our reach for animals!

Team Vegan funds are what fuels our Fall outreach, and we need the full $300,000 if we want to reach the most people possible.

In Fall 2014, we set a semester record of over one million people reached with a VO booklet. That means a million more people were exposed to the truth about animal agribusiness. A million more people learned that there’s a more compassionate way to eat and to live.

We hear every day from individuals who are making changes, taking steps toward cruelty-free living. But our work is far from over. There are so many people left to reach, and we can reach them – with your help!

Donate now to one of our hardworking Team Vegan members.

Thank you!

Monster record day here at California State University in Los Angeles: Becca Balvin, Fabienne Origer, Leron Rabinowiz, Nicole Casares, Kim Moffatt, and I [below] handed out 5,140 Vegan Outreach booklets. No cakewalk either – a lot of grinding it out alone; and the troops even got a bit cranky as we didn’t have water and didn’t wanna miss anyone, lol, so had to make them wait a bit.

I met Becca [below] at Whole Foods: I was just chatting it up with the cashier, and voila – now we are friends, and she is a VO volunteer and wants to leaflet more. She did great her first time out.

Approximately the fourth person Becca handed a leaflet to was Janiece [below, left], who casually mentioned, “Thanks, don’t need one, been veg since I got one of these a long time ago.” I was like, “Really? No way! Where did you get one?” And she told us, and I asked to record her on video real quick.

We also ran into Christine [below, right], who has been veg since getting a booklet and seeing Vegucated and Food, Inc. She credits a vegan diet to having more energy, being healthier, and shedding 40 pounds. She is encouraging her social circle to give it a go and asked to take more literature to show others! She’s also interested in leafleting with us.

Leron met another student who wants to leaflet, and I am emailing her. Many others stopped to talk and ask questions. I met two Catholic students who I had a long talk with and both were fascinated, and more or less expressed they had never thought about veganism in that way and were very sincere and kind and interested in veg eating, and it was a moving interaction for me.

We saw literally a fantastic amount of students reading down the line from where they got a booklet. Especially powerful and enthusing to me is seeing all the athletes engrossed in the new Compassionate Athlete booklet; it is unreal. A total game changer – I had no idea how powerful it would be and how much athletes identify with it, and how easily it dispels some of the central rationalizations and myths about why athletes can’t go vegan.

Support VO’s Adopt a College leafleting program:
Have your donation doubled today!

Dedicated Adopt a College volunteer Guy Grayson has leafleted Bramson ORT College 28 times this semester, handing out more than 4,800 Vegan Outreach booklets; and he’s reached another 5,600+ individuals, including many college students, leafleting NYC sidewalks this spring!

[At Bramson ORT College] I ran into a great, joyous young woman named Marina, who hugged me for my activism; another person interested in distributing pamphlets; another lovely Indian woman named Shamalaya, who needed to get the word out and who was the most emotionally devastated of anyone since I began pamphleting in 2000. She said, “You know they die but…” We called it the torture it is, and that’s the best day of my pamphleting ever. Not because I got the most pamphlets out – not nearly, but I know about five people are changed for life now, and two or three of them are on their way to becoming activists.

I used to only help animals out of duty, no pleasure in return at all, but now I feel thrilled some days, absolutely thrilled. Thanks a million for the Even If You Like Meat pamphlets.

Have your donation doubled to support VO’s Adopt a College leafleting program today! The more money raised, the more animals spared from suffering.

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.