I originally decided to intern at VRG because I wanted to learn more about non-profits. I began my internship in late December with a translation project, and now, mid-March, my internship is coming to an end. In these past few months I have learned so much.

I have worked on many projects during my internship. I began with translating nutritional articles to Spanish. I translated articles about vegan pregnancy, and the importance of calcium, iron, and vitamin B12. Translation was one of my favorite tasks during my internship because reading the articles was a very informative experience, and I also learned many new words in Spanish during the translation process. Besides that, I participated in other small tasks around the office. I contacted companies to ask for vegan food samples, and I reviewed the products for the Vegetarian Journal. I worked on the Restaurant Guide, another fun project, and I was able to learn about vegetarianism in cities all over North America. Additionally, I responded to many scholarship entries. I enjoyed this project because I was able to see how vegetarianism had impacted other students’ lives.

As my internship comes to a close, I think back to my first day at the VRG. The first day that I came to the VRG, Charles gave me a plethora of vegan cookbooks. I was so excited to be able to try out new recipes. Throughout my internship, I learned of more recipes, when the scholarship applicants wrote about their favorite dishes. One applicant even sent an entire cookbook full of her recipes! After giving me the cookbooks, Charles explained to me how a non-profit works and what the VRG does. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to intern at the VRG – they are a great group of people and what they do is inspiring.

If you are interested in a Vegetarian Resource Group internship, visit: http://www.vrg.org/student/

To support Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

Interning at The Vegetarian Resource Group this fall semester has been inspirational. When I found out that I had to complete a 120-hour internship in order to graduate in January 2013, I knew I wanted to do something I was passionate about and interested in. When Charles replied back to my inquiry I was beyond excited!

Throughout my internship I was tasked with different duties, some large, some small, but all were important. My favorite task was gathering past Vegetarian Journals for the Tom Regan Animal Rights Archive at NC State University. The Vegetarian Journal dates back to 1982, so there were a lot of them! I enjoyed this project so much because I was able to see a complete time capsule of VRG from beginning to present. I got to read about animal rights causes that were successful and cruelties that still exist today. I searched through the VRG scrapbooks to find some of the missing issues and got to see pictures of past VRG camping trips, protests, potlucks, and tons of letters VRG has received over the years, from huge organizations to individuals just saying thank you. This project may have taken a little longer than expected but I could not help myself from getting caught up in how different yet the same life still is 30 years later.

During my internship I also worked VRG booths at the Hampden Fest in Maryand, Natural Products Expo, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Conference in Pennsylvania. I did writes ups for the blog and journal, taste tested vegan products to write Veggie Bits on, wrote restaurant blurbs for the restaurant guide, conducted professional interviews, promoted VRG’s Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck, made some new friends and learned a lot more then I ever thought I would about veganism, animal rights, and running a business. My internship at VRG improved my networking and writing skills, built my resume and has encouraged me to set goals for myself and realize that with some hard work, anything is achievable.

I began my internship in August. It is now November and as the semester draws to a close and I plan to move to another city I am happy to know that VRG will always be a part of me. I plan on continuing outreach by working VRG booths at festivals and conferences wherever I end up and helping in any way that I can.

For more information about VRG internships, see http://www.vrg.org/student/.
To donate towards VRG internships, scholarships, and other projects, visit http://www.vrg.org/donate.

At the end of my three month internship at The Vegetarian Resource Group, I remember my first days here very clearly. I remember my online internship search prior to returning to Loyola University this fall, when I discovered that there was an opportunity available at the VRG, just minutes from my school. I had learned about the VRG from a professor, and upon searching the website and blog, reading articles and descriptions, I began to realize just how fitting this internship would be for me. My passion for health, vegetarianism, writing and activism fueled my interest in continuing to learn more about these topics while applying my skills to the organization. I came into the internship comfortable with the fact that there was a lot I did not know about these topics, but was excited to learn more from the VRG staff and community.

From the start of the internship, my personal interests and goals have been recognized and valued. Charles and Debra compiled a list of projects and tasks that I would be working on throughout my time at the VRG, all of which related in some way to the personal experiences, interests and goals that I had expressed involvement and interest in. I am most grateful for the opportunity to have expanded my knowledge and experience in areas that actually apply to my interests and passions, rather than participating in mundane tasks in the office.

My first project, for example, was to write a recipe article for the Vegetarian Journal on Vegan Ecuadorian Recipes. For the past two years, I have traveled to Ecuador with a delegation of students and staff from Loyola University, for a faith-based immersion trip. My experiences in Ecuador and the relationships I’ve built with individuals there are very close to my heart and have shaped who I am today. That being said, I was thrilled to be afforded the opportunity to use my experience in Ecuador and my knowledge of the Spanish language (as well as my love for food!) to create vegan recipes inspired by traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. After developing these recipes and writing the article, I translated it into Spanish. This was a fun and challenging way to kick off my time here at the VRG.

Other projects I have worked on throughout my time as an intern include writing for the blog about vegan and vegetarian food available at Loyola, compiling research for vegetarian/vegan senior care, updating our national Restaurant Guide, working at the VRG table at Baltimore’s Vegtoberfest, and informing local newspapers and media sites about our annual Vegan Thanksgiving potluck dinner, as well as, of course, attending the delicious potluck. I even converted an article into HTML – at a very basic level – but am impressed with myself, nonetheless!

Among these tasks and projects, I have learned a lot in less concrete ways throughout my time as an intern. Daily talks with Charles and Debra about life and my future have been very encouraging and inspirational. It means so much to me to have been able to learn from the experiences of individuals whose job reflects their passions in life. This is something I aspire to!

I leave my VRG internship feeling grateful for the opportunities I have encountered, the welcoming people I have met, and the useful information I have learned about vegetarianism, non-profit and advocacy work, as well as the encouragement to foster passion in my future endeavors.

For information about Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

To support VRG internships and other projects, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

My Eleanor Wolff Internship with the Vegetarian Resource Group has been wonderfully inspiring and informative. Charles and Debra were warm and welcoming and made sure that I experienced all the fun Baltimore had to offer. Debra’s kindness never failed to put a smile on my face, and Charles thought-provoking banter exercised my mind and challenged me to think in new ways. As a vegan from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, I had never spent much time with many vegans, especially vegan adults. My coworkers and all those involved in the VRG, as well as the many individuals I met at conferences, proved to be reaffirming on many different levels.

The variety of skills and talents my coworkers brought to the table helped me realize the many different tasks that keep the VRG running smoothly. I began to contextualize the vegetarian and animal rights movement in new, more enlightened ways. The wide variety of organizations and causes are the nuts and bolts that hold things intact just as the ideas, passion, and commitment from all the individuals within the movement fuel it forward. There is a place in the movement for every individual interested in vegetarian advocacy, one that they must personally seek. I learned that I have a definite place; although I do not know exactly what it is yet, I am comforted by the fact that it exists, and that with time, it will become clearer to me.

Working the VRG table at the Taking Action For Animals, School Health Interdisciplinary Program, and Animal Rights conferences, I was forced out of my comfort zone. I began to comprehend that crossing such a threshold, and taking advantage of experiential learning and face-to-face interaction is an effective way to carve your place and truly engage in the world. This sort of engagement is essentially what the entire movement hinges on, and I would have been deprived of many understandings had I not immersed myself in the conversations taking place at the conferences.

Sitting in the VRG office typing away on a computer often made it difficult to grasp the tangible effects I was attempting to bring forth. Often, I felt disconnected from the world that I was presumably working to better. Then I began to realize that results are not always that which you can see, and that certain types of advocacy and real world work are very different than the work that is done in college. Unlike college, you will not get a pat on the back or an A for your hardest, most challenging work. In the real world, you must learn to give credit to yourself by identifying the relation of your work to the larger scheme of things. My work at the VRG helped me discern this difference, and I now realize that the work I engage myself in beyond college must be, like the work I have done for the VRG, personally meaningful. I must remember that not everything is visible, and that as long as I am working for the greater good, and motivated by genuine passion, my efforts will bring happiness.

Click here to learn more about interning with us!

By the time my internship with the Vegetarian Resource Group began in early June, I had lived the vegan lifestyle for over two years. Cruelty-free diets and compassionate living brought familiar comfort. I knew the philosophies and strategies behind vegetarianism and veganism. At least, I thought I did.

One of my first projects was writing about balancing veganism with Type 1 diabetes – two factors that define much of my daily life. I hardly remember the years before my diagnosis with diabetes, but 17 years eating meat and other animal products remain vivid in my memory. Before the VRG piece, I rarely thought to consider these two driving forces together. Diabetes and veganism were parts of a whole, and through the writing process, I put into words something my body knew all along: my medical condition and dietary preferences inevitably connect with one and other. This became more than a general idea as I researched and fact-checked the article, diving into resources within VRG and the American Diabetes Association. Intern revelation number one: complete.

Starting at the VRG had me asking myself, “What do I want out of my internship?” The VRG comprises an amazing community of writers, professionals, interns, readers, sponsors and supporters of compassionate living. My resource pool is endless, and my experiences find even greater potential while interning long-distance from Chicago. I attended Chicago’s first annual Veggie Pride Parade, later exploring the wealth of VRG information on vegetarian festivals. I wrote up a blog entry filled with my opinions and perceptions of the parade, soon submitting it to the Baltimore VRG crew. I eagerly awaited their thoughts. Is it vegan of me to love feedback, to see how my words and actions impact others and our environment? After receiving the VRG response, I poured over revisions and comments. Surprisingly, the input surprised me. Intern revelation number two: witness politics. Recognize the achievements of everyone. Sure, I blogged about my experience, but more importantly, I had the opportunity to share information about Chicago’s vegan community and learned the importance of writing without bias.

As I reach the halfway point in my VRG internship, I keep reevaluating my concept of sustainable living. New challenges come to my attention while co-writing a vegan-backpacking article (who knew shoe glue can contain animal products?). The vegan lifestyle takes on a broader meaning when surveying senior living options. Fresh perspectives show me that vegetarian action happens at all ages (take, for example, Justice Beske and his mother, Marla Rose, who make kid-friendly Vegetarian Starter Kits together).

Intern revelation number three (and four, five, six…): ongoing. So far, my VRG internship catalyzed a redefinition of compassionate living, what it means to me, and how it influences community. I look forward to continuing this growth!

Interested in interning with VRG? See Internships & Scholarships at VRG!

Being an intern at VRG has been a wonderful, eye-opening experience. I originally began working here to gain experience at a non-profit, and since VRG just happened to be local/support a cause I care deeply about, it was a perfect fit. As a lifelong vegetarian, I thought I knew all there was to know about the lifestyle, but through my work here I have become far more informed about vegetarianism, and particularly veganism.

I have started to read up on veganism a great deal on my own time, and have slowly begun to implement changes into my lacto-ovo diet, including, but not limited to, subbing almond milk for cream in my coffee, and giving vegan cheese a try (dairy cheese has always been my vice!).

My tasks here at VRG have been many and varied, and I look forward to observing their benefits in my future career, whatever it may be. I have done a great deal of writing, from blog posts to responding to scholarship entries, have tested and subsequently reviewed vegan products, worked at the VRG booth at VegFest, and even gave HTML a try!

All of these tasks, along with the many others I accomplished since January, have both added to my resume, and to my confidence in skills that will continue to serve me throughout my working life. Another feat I accomplished while working this internship was the planning of a dinner, along with another intern. I am extremely proud of the way it turned out – the dinner was quite a success, and gaining experience in event planning and managing was extremely fulfilling and will certainly be beneficial to me in the future.

I can’t thank VRG enough for taking me on as an intern for these past 5 months. I have greatly enjoyed working with everyone at the office, and also getting to know others involved with VRG. I feel that I have gained crucial knowledge related to nutrition, animal rights, and even the ways in which a vegetarian diet can help the world become a better place from an environmental and ethical standpoint. I hope to return to VRG upon my return to Baltimore in the fall, in order to learn even more and to continue to be of assistance in the wonderful work that they do!

For more information about VRG internships, see http://www.vrg.org/student/

To donate towards VRG internships, scholarships, and other projects, visit www.vrg.org/donate

Every Monday night for 2 hours, I have the pleasure of addressing the airwaves with my friend Sheila on our radio show, “Canny Crack.” The show can be accessed both on air and online through the station for which we work, WLOY, which is Loyola University’s very own radio station. The show celebrates an eclectic assortment of music that spans the genre spectrum, with a heavy focus on all things English.

On April 2nd, Sheila and I decided to use our DJ roles that allow us to reach many in part to spread the word about VRG and vegetarianism in general. She is a fellow vegetarian, so we opened up the phone lines and allowed people to call in with questions about the lifestyle. We also discussed some of our favorite recipes, and my favorite vegetarian restaurant located in England called the Sky Apple Cafe!

Amanda has been one of our many great interns! For more information about local and long-distance internships with VRG, please see: http://www.vrg.org/student/. For information about our college scholarship, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm.

One of my major projects included reading current scientific research and writing a few paragraphs about the studies and their implications for VRG’s readers. I was unaware that any psychological research had been done in relation to vegetarianism until I wrote two scientific reviews about it! This was helpful for me, because reading research and deciphering the results is a huge part of what I do as a psychology student about to write a thesis.

I also wrote a few “Veggie Bits,” which are reviews on new vegan products. I was excited to see how enthusiastic some companies are about spreading the word about their products, and how easily I was able to obtain samples so that I could write reviews about them. Among these products, I tried vegan cookies, coconut milk ice cream, vegan sour cream, and even vegan shampoo. It was a fun experience and I enjoyed writing about the things I had tried.

In addition, I worked on adding entries to VRG’s Restaurant Guide. Although many of the restaurants I researched are in different states, it was interesting to see how restaurants in other parts of the country incorporate vegan meals into their menus. Working on the Restaurant Guide has inspired me to try to find more vegetarian restaurants in my area.

One of my more interactive projects included going to grocery stores and finding products that are labeled as vegan. Eventually, the list will include all vegan products in the grocery stores and where to locate them, so new vegans will have the convenience of a list of all the vegan products at their particular store. Though I played a small part in this project, it will be exciting to see how the list grows. I think it will definitely encourage vegetarians like myself to incorporate more vegan foods in their diet.

Finally, I did a few smaller projects, which included converting an article into HTML and finding information on senior care facilities that have vegetarian options. I also looked to find vegan orange juice brands at grocery stores.

There are pros and cons to doing a long distance internship. Because of my location, it was difficult to do outreach projects and attend meetings and conferences like many of the Baltimore interns do. I did not get the same face-to-face experience as I would have had if I traveled to Baltimore. Yet, I feel that I have still gained valuable knowledge and experience, regardless of my location, and I was able to apply this knowledge in a different way. Because I chose to do long distance, I was able to go on vacation with my family to California, where I enjoyed a vegan-friendly, eco-friendly environment. I started reading some literature on vegetarianism that further strengthened my views. And as I mentioned before, it gave me the opportunity to do other things like volunteer in an animal shelter, a hobby I thoroughly enjoy.

Before the internship, I had different ideas about veganism, and thought it was very difficult. Going vegan was never really an option for me. Throughout my internship I learned how easy it can be to go vegan. VRG provides articles and resources that make veganism a possibility for even the busiest college student. I am now making a conscious effort to include more vegan foods into my diet. I’m so glad I did an internship with VRG, because it helped me stay committed to making smarter choices with food. I’m happy to be able to pass on all this new knowledge to other people and hopefully influence better eating decisions. VRG has helped push me out of my comfort zone to learn new knowledge and skills, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with them.

For information about VRG internships see:
http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php
Internships are unpaid. We have one paid Eleanor Wolff Scholarship Internship in Baltimore. See:
http://www.vrg.org/student/eleanor_wolff_scholarship.php
To support additional VRG internships and outreach, you can donate at
https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

By Rita Pruzansky, VRG Intern and Psychology student

My internship this summer at The Vegetarian Resource Group has been such a rewarding learning experience for me. I can’t believe that I have been here since the end of May– and that two and a half months has gone by so quickly. I am amazed at what I was able to accomplish over this time, and all that I have learned and encountered at the VRG. I was a committed vegetarian before interning, but my commitment has been strengthened, along with a new understanding of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.

My first day involved a tour of the office, in which I met Charles, Debra, Sonja, John, and Mary, the other staff members that I would work with over the next two months. I got to see the extensive library and learn about the important role that each person plays in the office. Over time, I was also able to meet the other two summer interns, Jessica and Yasmin, both of whom it was great to work with, and Eric, a volunteer who was often in the office. All of these people proved to be important to me over my time at the VRG.

During my first week here, I worked on writing and sending out a press release about the two most recent high school scholarship winners. As an English major, I was excited to jump into writing for the VRG. I was immediately impressed by the dedication that several high school students have shown to activism and promoting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. I also learned how much time it takes to effectively find the email contacts of every top newspaper and local flier in two US cities.

Throughout my time interning at the VRG, I worked on several different projects, both with Jessica, and by myself. Some articles I worked on during my internship were:

• A Vegan Easter and Lent– This article involved a lot of research into the VRG’s extensive recipe database, as well as thinking about all of the meals and traditions that are a part of Easter and Lent, and how they could be modified for a vegan lifestyle.
• Vegan Food at College Campuses– In this article, Jessica and I compiled a list of vegan options at several college campuses in Maryland. We learned about variety of ways in which college campuses interpret “vegan options,” some of which are for the better and some which are for the worse.
• Vegan at College 101– As a follow-up to our previous article, Jessica and I interviewed 13 vegan college students at campuses around the country and asked them questions about their lifestyle at school, along with their advice for other students.
• A Vegetarian Action on Tina Fox and Vegetarian for Life– This article was a piece to be featured in the Vegetarian Journal. Charles helped me get in touch with Tina Fox, the head of the UK group Vegetarian for Life, which works with vegetarian senior citizens. It was exciting to interview someone from “across the pond” and I can’t wait to see my article in print.
• Veggie Bits– This was one of the more fun aspects of my internship– reviewing vegan food for the Journal. For these I worked with Keryl, the editor of the Journal, and she helped me send requests to two different companies, which then sent me delicious samples to try. Look for my reviews of Mareblu Naturals and Helen’s Kitchen in a future issue of the Journal!

Besides working on writing, I was also able to explore some of my side interests in art and design. One of the projects that I am most proud of from my internship is a coloring page and full-color design page of the My Vegan Plate. My design was based off the new MyPlate, which the USDA created to replace the food pyramid. I made a vegan version with the help of Reed Mangels, PhD, RD and I definitely put my Photoshop skills to the test. Another project I worked on was designing a t-shirt and other products for the VRG to sell online. Hopefully soon people will be able to sport a “Vegetarians Have Good Hearts” t-shirt!

One of the most rewarding aspects of my internship was working at various VRG outreach booths around Maryland. Through this, I got to meet Dorothy, another dedicated VRG volunteer, and work with both Mary and the other two interns to share VRG materials with members of the community. I was lucky enough to be able to work three booths during my time here:

• The Federal Hill Jazz and Blues Festival in Baltimore– This booth was my first one, but I had Mary and Dorothy to show me the ropes. I really enjoyed talking to members of the Baltimore community about their experiences with vegetarianism and answering their questions.
• The 32nd Street Farmers Market in Baltimore– For this booth, Mary and I braved some nasty weather to talk to farmers market patrons about vegetarianism. Luckily, we got some delicious Ethiopian food out of it.
• The SHIP Conference in Towson– Working this booth with Jessica and Yasmin was really rewarding. We spoke with health professionals within the school system, experienced a professional conference, and were able to spend time getting to know each other better.

Along with the articles, designs, and booths, I also worked on several other projects in the office. These included:

• Converting articles into HTML for the website and blog– Thank you so much to Heather for her great HTML pointers.
• Aiding Sonja with the Restaurant Guide– This was one of my favorite things to do; my mouth would water at the delicious food on a restaurant’s website, only to find out they were across the country. I’m up for some traveling, though!
• Starting to compile responses to a survey of students’ top 5 favorite vegan foods on campus– Jessica and I spent a countless amount of time searching for the emails of student veg groups across the country.
• Researching and learning about grant proposals– I learned about unique new grant options such as Kickstarter.com, and even attended a free class on fund-raising at the Baltimore Public Library.
• Composing a direct mail letter that was sent out in the July issue of the email newsletter
• Being interviewed by US News & World Report about how my school is vegetarian-friendly
• Participating in a VRG promotional video– I even roped my boyfriend into this one; I can’t wait to see how everyone’s acting debuts turn out.

My internship at the VRG this summer over these past two months has been invaluable, and everyone I worked with made it so much more memorable. I am thankful for all of the opportunities I was allowed at this internship, and working with a non-profit has helped me learn so much. I know that my experiences from this summer will help me in my future work, wherever I end up going.

For information about internships, see:
http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group projects, go to:
https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

Eleanor Miltimore Wolff became a committed vegan late in life. Once she learned and understood that dietary choices affected not only one’s personal health, but also the health of the planet and the well being of the animals, there was no looking back. Leather shoes and purses, along with non-vegan food products went out the door. Her children and grandchildren were showered with vegan reading material. When she exercised she would sport a T-shirt proclaiming: “I think, therefore I am — a vegetarian”. Eleanor was a military censor during World War II, but there was no censoring her commitment to a plant based diet and lifestyle.

In her memory, the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship is a $2,500 paid internship at the VRG office in Baltimore (plus $1,000 toward housing) for a student who:

1. Wants to be an effective change agent on behalf of vegetarianism
2. Is motivated to use knowledge gained from the internship to make a significant impact within his/her world
3. Could not participate in this development effort without a little financial assistance

VRG also offers unpaid internships.

If you would like to apply for a VRG internship, please send a resume, writing sample, and cover letter detailing your interests, skills, goals, and vegetarian knowledge to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203

or e-mail to vrg@vrg.org

For more information about the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship and to view what past recipients have said of their experiences, click here.