The VRG's Maryland Newsletter by Laura McGuiness
December, 2014
- VEGAN MEALS FOR YOU; PROCEEDS FOR VRG -- GREAT SAGE BENEFIT DAY FEBRUARY 22, 2015
- VEGETARIAN VIDEO SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
- VISIT VRG AT THESE OUTREACH BOOTHS
- MARYLAND AREA EVENTS
- WHY AM I WRITING ABOUT VEGANS IN A BLOG LIKE MINE
- SOUP'S ON
- WHOLE FOODS COMING TO TOWSON, MD
- VEGAN DOUGHNUT BUSINESS
- YEAR END MATCHING DONATIONS
- VRG'S YAHOO PARENT'S GROUP
- AMAZON SMILE: PURCHASE THROUGH AMAZON AND MAKE A DONATION TO VRG
- DONATE YOUR CAR TO A GOOD CAUSE
- BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR FOR VRG
- VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS VEGAN WINTER COATS AND BOOTS, MARGARET CAVENDISH, VEGAN COOKIES, DESEEDING POMEGRANATES
- ABOUT VRG
1) VEGAN MEALS FOR YOU; PROCEEDS FOR VRG -- GREAT SAGE BENEFIT DAY FEBRUARY 22, 2015
Support The Vegetarian Resource Group while enjoying your favorite vegan dishes
from Great Sage! On February 22, 2015, Great Sage in Clarksville, MD will
be generously donating 10% of the day's proceeds to VRG. Try their 'Crabbie'
Grilled Cheese, "a layer of [their] famous 'crab cake' between sharp cashew
'cheddar,' baby spinach, and whole wheat toast" or their Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes,
"topped with soy whip and served with a caramel glaze"!
You can check out the rest of Great Sage's amazing all-vegan menu items here:
[ http://greatsage.com/menu/ ]
Great Sage is located at:
5809 Clarksville Square Drive
Clarksville, MD 21029
and open 10 AM-9 PM on Sunday.
Although this will not be a formal group gathering, our Outreach Coordinator,
Nina, and other VRG volunteers will be available during brunch hours (10 AM-3 PM)
to answer any questions you may have or to just chat! We will also have copies
of the Vegetarian Journal and literature available for you to take home. We
look forward to seeing you and thank you in advance for your support!
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2) VEGETARIAN VIDEO SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Jerry is a winner of The Vegetarian Resource Group Video Contest. He stated:
I have always had a lot of respect and admiration toward vegetarians. But
it was not until recently, I considered vegetarianism as part of my diet.
I have always been interested in vegetarianism due to its water conservation
and humane treatment of animals. But the cherry on top - the overwhelming
health benefits - is what really led me to my final decisions.
See videos at: [ http://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php#fu ]
You can be next year's VRG video winner! The next contest deadline is July
15, 2015. For more information on how to apply and the rules surrounding the
contest, visit:
[ http://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php ]
For information about our $5,000 scholarship contest for high school seniors,
see:
[ http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]
Deadline is February 20, 2015.
If you would like to support VRG internships or our video scholarship contest,
please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate
Join The Vegetarian Resource Group at:
[ http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php ]
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3) VISIT VRG AT THESE OUTREACH BOOTHS
- MARYLAND AREA OUTREACH EVENTS
-
Great Sage Benefit Day
Clarksville, MD
02/22, 2015
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/480049368803875 ]
- NATIONAL (OUTSIDE OF MARYLAND AREA) EVENTS
-
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Nashville, TN
10/3-10/6, 2015
[ http://www.eatrightnashville.org/index.php/category/meetings/ ]
If you would like to volunteer at any of these events, contact Nina at [email protected].
If you would like to donate towards our veggie outreach, donate at:
[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]
.
Donations can also be sent to
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Or call: (410) 366-8343.
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4) MARYLAND AREA EVENTS
- VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN MEET-UPS IN BALTIMORE, MD
-
The Vegetarian Meet-up happens at Mango Grove, located at 8865 Stanford Boulevard,
in Columbia, Maryland 21045, on the first Sunday each month at 12:30 PM. The
Vegan Meet-up takes place at Mr. Chan Szechuan at 1000 Reisterstown Rd. in
Pikesville on the third Wednesday every month at 7 PM. If you are vegan or
vegetarian and would like to eat great food while socializing with others
who share your interests, attend a meet-up!
For more information about EarthSave's Vegan and Vegetarian Baltimore Meet-ups,
- DINEKIND
-
Dinekind Harford, a lovely organization created in 2010, meets monthly to
share information on the benefits of a plant-based diet. On the first Friday
of each month at the McFaul Activity Center in Bel Air, Maryland, everybody
enjoys a plant-based dinner followed by socializing and information sharing
(such as a guest speaker, demonstration, or movie). The members potluck begins
at 6:30 and the presentation starts one hour later.
Monthly activities include a members plant-based potluck, promoting Meatless
Mondays and featuring a weekly recipe, staffing tables at events for health,
animal welfare, and the environment, creating a Harford County veg-friendly
dining guide, Plant-based professionals guide, movie nights/book discussions,
and visits to places such as restaurants and animal shelters. This month,
the meeting will be: Vegetarian Veterinarian.
For more information, visit:
[ http://www.dinekindharford.com/ ]
- HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES NEEDS YOU!
-
It's about time to get cracking on animal protection measures for Maryland
in 2015. To start preparing, The Humane Society of the United States will
be visiting six cities in December. At these events, you can find out what
issues lawmakers are expected to consider in 2015, including the critical
"cost of animal care" legislation to provide much-needed relief to shelters
and save the lives of countless animals.
To participate, come visit any one of these events:
| Annapolis | Monday, 12/8 - 6:00 to 7:30 PM |
| Bowie | Tuesday, 12/9 - 6:00 to 7:30 PM |
| Salisbury | Thursday, 12/11 - 6:00 to 7:30 PM |
| Baltimore | Tuesday, 12/16 - 6:00 to 7:30 PM |
| Rockville | Wednesday, 12/17 - 6:00 to 7:30 PM |
| Frederick | Thursday, 12/18 - 6:00 to 7:30 PM |
| Webinar | Wednesday, 12/10 - 12:00 to 1:00 PM |
There is no fee to attend. Visit:
[ http://action.humanesociety.org/site/R?i=esqQCTJRZdy4Fahw2Oarfw ]
to RSVP and view location details.
- MARYLANDVEGEVENTS.COM
-
Marylandvegevents.com is a one stop calendar site for all MD/DC vegan and
vegetarian events. If you are looking to network, socialize, and/or engage
in social activism you will find plenty of opportunities here. Whether you
are vegan, vegetarian, or interested in trying vegetarianism/veganism, you
will find many exciting and fulfilling events.
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5) WHY AM I WRITING ABOUT VEGANS IN A BLOG LIKE MINE
You might be interested to know that I wrote about my husband Steve's and
my experience at the phenomenal Vegetarian Resource Group vegan potluck. I
write a blog called offbeat compassion
([ http://offbeatcompassion.wordpress.com/about/ ]
)
and just now posted my article.
"You can be a vegan but still have an unhealthy diet," one of my table mates
at a pre-Thanksgiving potluck informed me. "Think French fries and all that
grease." I nodded sympathetically. It is hard enough to push people's eating
habits in one direction, let alone two at once. Another vegan sitting there
with at least three varieties of cranberry sauce on her place next to her
tahini-topped zucchini pancakes asked how long I had been a vegan. I had to
confess that I was there only because decades ago, my husband had belonged
to their Baltimore-based group when it first formed. (It is now called The
Vegetarian Resource Group). He wanted to reconnect with old pals during our
recent visit there; I came along to enjoy the food and meet offbeat people
like myself, two of my favorite past times.
When my table mate next asked a bit about me and I told her about this blog,
she hopefully asked, "Does it have something to do with veganism?" Once again
I felt compelled to spill out the unvarnished truth and say, "Well I can't
really say that it does." Luckily, I rescued the conversation from dying prematurely
by asking her to tell me a little about her interests as I ate my first ever
vegan enchilada…"
On my way back home from Baltimore, I mulled over my hasty answer that my
blog and veganism have nothing to do with each other. While there is no obvious
surface connection, I thought about what I had heard and seen at that potluck.
For one thing, they were handing out T-shirts that said, "Expand compassion"
on them. Well there you are. I noticed too that several people brought their
own plates and silverware, so that less paper and plastic ware would be used,
thus showing their consideration for the health of our planet. Posters abounded
that reminded us to "be kind to animals: don't eat them."
Perhaps it is fair to say that both vegans and my blog followers and I are/aspire
to be: purveyors of offbeat varieties of compassion.
Rabbi Kaplan writes about what people facing death ponder, value, and believe
at
[ http://offbeatcompassion.wordpress.com/about/ ]
If you would like to assist with organizing The Vegetarian Resource Group
pre-Thanksgiving potluck in Baltimore next year, contact Nina at [email protected]
For more information on holiday recipes and other groups around the USA hosting
Thanksgiving events, visit
[ http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php ]
It's never too early to note these on your calendar.
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6) SOUP'S ON
BY DINA GHARIB, VRG INTERN
Winter is coming! Vegans and vegetarians can now rejoice over this delectable
hole-in-the-wall restaurant. In my opinion, Soup's On is one of the best places
to get a cheap, filling, delicious meal on a cold winter's day. While the
food is quick to come out, it's not to be confused with anything remotely
close to fast-food. Their hot delicious soups are cooked fresh daily in house,
and are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Every day the menu changes,
but vegan and vegetarian options are always made available. If the delicious
food isn't enough to lure you in, the warm hospitality and service will top
it off. Soups such as the Vegan Roasted Parsnip and Leek with Sherry and Thyme,
or the Szechwan Carrot with Peanut, Ginger, and Soy Milk will have you coming
back for more. For a combination meal, try their signature Vegan Sandwich
with Roasted Eggplant, Portobello Mushrooms, and red Bell Peppers and topped
off with fresh Baby Arugula. Their website is updated daily with all the menu
items available for the day. Fight the cold weather off, with a hot meal from
Soup's On.
For more information, visit:
www.soupsonbalto.com/index.html
11 West Preston St.
Baltimore MD, 21201
For more information on other vegetarian restaurants throughout the USA and
Canada, see:
[ http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php ]
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7) WHOLE FOODS COMING TO TOWSON, MD
For some time the people of Towson have been asking for a Whole Foods Market
and now that is becoming a reality. This Whole Foods will be located at the
new Towson Row redevelopment site opposite the library in downtown Towson.
For more information on this exciting event, visit:
[ http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/real-estate/wonk/bal-whole-foods-planned-for-towson-row-20141105-story.html ]
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8) VEGAN DOUGHNUT BUSINESS
When I discovered that there was a vegan doughnut business in my neighborhood
supplying a vegan exclusive doughnut menu, I was quick to investigate. After
taking a quick trip to their website, I discovered the holy grail of vegan
doughnuts. Glory Doughnuts is a young business owned by two seasoned vegans,
Alissa and Keirsten, who have a passion for vegan comfort food. By taking
a look at their flavors it is obvious that these two are not interested in
following the stereotypical, healthy vegan route. In fact they credit the
base of their business to be the animals. Besides providing a menu of vegan
exclusive doughnuts, the Glory Doughnuts owners are active members in the
vegan community stating, "We do regular donations to various charities, and
follow and promote the vegan community as much as possible, with like-minded
individuals as well as like-minded businesses. We do a lot of shout outs…just
to kind of help spread the message; always looking for opportunities to do
that. Like most of the events we do, we watch out for pro-animal rights, and/or
vegan friendly and/or environmentally friendly events. We're always keeping
it in mind because that's honestly the base of the business, it's the animals.
We're always looking for opportunities to support the huge cause!"
While their doughnuts have become notorious for their exotic flavors, Glory
Doughnuts does not currently have a storefront, but managed to gather a strong
and wide following of visitors at their summer farmer's market pop-up stand.
Their following, they credit to social media stating, "Everyone who comes
up to our stand at the farmer's market, are always like 'Oh we saw you on
Instagram.' 'We saw you on Facebook.' 'I saw the doughnuts this morning and
I had to have it.'" The raving reviews and strong following exist for a good
reason. Glory Doughnuts are not your typical everyday doughnut. With exquisite
flavors like The Carnivale featuring Traditional Yeast with Fair Trade Ganache,
Kettle Korn, Roasted Peanuts and Rainbow Jimmies, or the Bootlegger incorporating
Traditional Yeast with Apple Pie Moonshine Glaze and organic apples mixed
right into the dough; these doughnuts are a force to be reckoned with.
When discussing their decision on having a vegan exclusive menu, Glory Doughnuts
was adamant that there was never any pressure to sell non-vegan goods, since
veganism is such a major part of their lives. "When we started, we set out
to make a product that had to be vegan, like that couldn't be compromised,
and one where, I hate to use this term but people use it frequently, but carnivores
will like it too." When I asked if there were any difficulties with selling
their vegan goods to non-vegans, Alissa responded with a very affective yet
interesting approach. "In certain situations we don't necessarily advertise
the fact our product is vegan because we don't want to deter people who might
or might not try our products just because they're vegan. So we kind of like
to do a sneak attack and have people try our stuff, and then we kind of let
them know that it doesn't have any milk, dairy, or eggs." While their plan
may be effective, they did express troubles in creating vegan doughnuts at
an affordable price point. "We also wanted to use local and organic ingredients
as well as vegan ingredients and that isn't necessarily cheap, so we're constantly
doing market research and constantly trying to find the lowest cost for our
ingredients without compromising quality."
As for their advice to vegans who would like to start a business, "You have
to put your complete heart and soul into your passion. For the past year we've
been doing this, I've also been holding a full-time job, so there's been long
days, and we've been through some rough times. So now we're both going full
time on doughnuts. Anyways, don't be afraid to take chances and don't talk
yourself out of doing things. Surround yourself with like-minded people and
people who support you and your purpose."
As for the future, Glory Doughnuts is currently looking at spaces in hopes
of opening their first modest storefront location. To order from Glory Doughnuts,
visit:
www.glorydoughnuts.com/index.html
For more information about vegetarian and vegan businesses and jobs, see:
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9) YEAR END MATCHING DONATIONS
Don't forget that many employers will match your donation to nonprofits such
as The Vegetarian Resource Group, often up to $5,000. A partial list of employers
that match can be seen here at www.vrg.org/donate by checking "employer to
match" and clicking on "Please Select."
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10) VRG'S YAHOO PARENT'S GROUP
Are you or someone you know raising a vegetarian or vegan child? If so, you
may want to join a network of parents interested in exchanging ideas on various
vegetarian/vegan topics including: finding a vegan summer camp, vegan dining
options at Disney World, what can I pack in my child’s lunchbox, how have
you and your child dealt with the dissection issue in school, can you recommend
a veggie-friendly pediatrician or dietitian, is there a veggie children’s
group in my area, etc.
For more information on this online Yahoo Group see:
[ https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vrgparents/info ]
- See more at: [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/#sthash.5FYvbZEF.dpuf ]
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11) AMAZON SMILE: PURCHASE THROUGH AMAZON AND MAKE A DONATION TO VRG
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases
to Vegetarian Resource Group whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same
service.
Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at
[ http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1279034 ]
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12) DONATE YOUR CAR TO A GOOD CAUSE
A free, convenient service for converting that extra car, truck, or RV into
a tax deductible donation benefiting The Vegetarian Resource Group. You can
donate online or call 877-999-8322 to make your donation.
Start now by clicking on "Donate Now" below. If you are not ready to donate,
find out about donating your vehicle by browsing all the valuable information
and links on our site at:
[ http://www.v-dac.com/org/?id=52127903 ]
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13) BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR FOR VRG
The Vegetarian Resource Group greatly appreciates the support given by our
monthly donors. You can join our monthly giving group with a minimum gift
of just $10 a month by going to www.vrg.org/donate. You will be part of a
network of givers who support our outreach efforts on an ongoing basis. These
donations allow us to continue vegan education in a wide variety of venues
including schools, doctor and dietitian offices, libraries, various professional
conferences, animal rights events, health fairs, environmental festivals,
and much more. Thank you for your support!
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15) ABOUT VRG
Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and
individuals to bring about healthful changes in your school, workplace, and
community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of
nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about
vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization.
Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, bequests, and
book sales. The Vegetarian Journal, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership
in The VRG. (For more information, please see the Vegetarian Journal online
at:
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/ ]
)
To sign up for the The Vegetarian Resource Group national email newsletter,
please visit:
[ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/. ]
We are also on Facebook and Twitter!!
If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find
out more about The VRG, contact us at:
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: [ http://www.vrg.org/ ]
To donate: [ http://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?Action=GC&CID=1565/ ]
Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2014 The contents of this newsletter,
and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended
to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from
a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient
information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about
a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can
be made. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable
for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
If you were forwarded this message and would like to sign up for our monthly
local email newsletter, please see our website:
[ http://www.vrg.org/local/ ]
If you do not wish to receive the Local Email Newsletter, visit
[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-maryland_lists.vrg.org ]
Instructions for unsubscribing will appear at the bottom of the page.
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