I've had the pleasure and honor of volunteering with The Vegetarian Resource Group for about a year now. I am enjoying working on the numerous and varied projects VRG is involved in. I would highly recommend volunteering with VRG if you want to contribute to vegan education. There are so many different jobs and projects that you will find something that will match your interests. Thank you Charles, Debra, and Gene for these volunteer opportunities!
Come visit us at these VRG booths!
Please contact [email protected] if you want to help with promotion, planning, or set up.
If you are interested in helping us at one of our booths, contact Gene Slothour-Hudnall at [email protected].
MARYLAND VEGAN RESTAURANT WEEK - August 16, 2019 through August 30, 2019
The mission of Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week is to bridge the gap by increasing the awareness, benefits and accessibility of a plant-based diet through a fun, innovative and community-based experience. See: [ https://www.facebook.com/events/845962549078957/ ]
THE REDUCETARIAN SUMMIT
The keynote speech will be delivered by best-selling author, Jonathan Safran Foer. The goal of the Reducetarian Summit is to bring together people and perspectives from all corners of the world to explore strategies and tactics for reducing societal consumption of animal products and ending factory farming. The Summit also features a full expo showcasing delicious plant-based food.
BALTIMORE VEGAN DRINKS
For Vegan Drinks events see [ https://www.facebook.com/pg/BaltimoreVeganDrinks/events/?ref=page_internal ]
DINEKIND
Dinekind Harford meets monthly to share information on the benefits of a plant-based diet. For more information, visit: [ http://www.dinekindharford.com/ ]
VEGEVENTS
Maryland and DC veg events can be found at [ https://www.vegevents.com ]
WHOLE FOOD FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH - BALTIMORE SUPPORT GROUP
They typically show one or more short educational videos, often a cooking demonstration of something delicious and easy. And of course, support, discussion, advice, and recipes. Beginners are welcome. Please bring a vegan dish to share if you can.
Please RSVP and visit at [ https://www.meetup.com/whole-food-for-optimal-health-potluck/ ]
If you have any questions, contact: Margie (mobile: 410-375-5803, [email protected])
EARTHSAVE
Earthsave's veg/vegan dinner series meets on the last Saturday each month at Govan's Presbyterian Church, next to the historic Senator Theater. Earthsave's mission is to help people learn a healthier and more peaceful way of eating and living. We also host two monthly groups/meetups that meet in restaurants. See: [ http://earthsavebaltimore.org/ ]
Govan's Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD Don Robertson is founding director of the Baltimore chapter of Earthsave, a
volunteer-operated nonprofit that has been presenting monthly educational dinner events since 1997. Earth save supports people taking their next step toward a healthier, sustainable, peaceful way of eating and living. Don also hosts two monthly discussion group meetings at restaurants and is active on Facebook, where he co-hosts the popular support group Earth-Friendly Food Choices.
For more information: [ earthsavebaltimore.org ]
FORKS OVER KNIVES MONTHLY POTLUCKS
This group is for those interested in trying a whole food plant-based diet or for those who already eat this way. This is a diet with none to very little oil, salt, or refined sugar. Sample delicious and healthy dishes, share recipes, learn, and connect with like-minded individuals.
For more information about the next event, visit: [ http://www.meetup.com/columbia-md-forks-over-knives-meetup/ ]
EAT WELL STAY WELL 2019 ONE-DAY IMMERSION
Sharon McRae organizes the annual One Day Immersion event, with a lineup of health and nutrition professionals. The event fills up completely every year.
This year's event will happen on Sept 15th. Sharon writes: We are so grateful to welcome back Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who will be discussing prevention of heart disease, eating for longevity, and food addiction; Dr. Brooke Goldner, who will teach us about diet and prevention of autoimmune disease; Dr. Cyrus Khambatta, who will share about insulin resistance and the dangers of the popular ketogenic diet; Dr. Frank Sabatino, who will discuss how lifestyle changes can affect expression of our genes; and my co-host, Dr. Dana Simpler, who will share frequently asked questions from her patients who are following a plant-based diet.
Our cooking demonstration this year is something I'm really excited about because I get to be ìin the kitchenî with Dr. Joel Fuhrma We'll be sharing how to create easy, quick, and delicious nutrient-dense dishes that are sure to win over your palate. Once again, our fabulous plant-based lunch will be provided by GreenFare Organic Cafe in Herndon VA, and we'll have yoga/stretching/meditation breaks throughout the day to teach you some strategies for sneaking in movement and moderating stress. We'll also have book sales and vendors for you to visit, along with some amazing door prizes! There's a nice discount for those who register early[ https://tinyurl.com/y2ay8e/ ]
MONTHLY COOKING CLASSES
No meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey. $55/person; $100/two people; $50/VSDC, VRG, or COK members. Demonstration classes include recipes, organic food samples, manufacturers' samples coupons. Gift certificates are available for purchase.
Email [email protected] or call 703-643-2713 for space availability. Make checks payable to Mimi Clark and mail to 9302 Hallston Ct., Fairfax Station, VA 22039. Sorry, no phone or e-mail reservations and no walk-ins. Seventy-two hour cancellation policy for refund or credit. Class subject to cancellation if minimum enrollment is not met.
Check website for monthly class updates: [ http://www.veggourmet.wordpress.com ]
VEGEVENTS
Maryland and DC veg events can be found at [ https://www.vegevents.com ]
Baltimore Vegan Book Club
VSDC THANKSGIVING GALA
The all-vegan Thanksgiving feast will be held at the Grand Hyatt in downtown D.C. on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2019, from 12-4 pm. Event programming also includes door prizes, a silent auction fundraiser, exhibitors, an all-ages kids activity, and live music. We have a delicious and abundant menu planned. The buffet is all-vegan, with non-GMO ingredients, and many gluten-free options. So mark your calendars to join us to celebrate with hundreds of people! See: [ https://www.vsdc.org/Thanksgiving-2019 ]
THRIVE BALTIMORE
Upcoming Events
[ http://thrivebaltimore.org/upcoming-events/ ]VEGAN COOKING CLASSES AND PRESENTATIONS BY CRYSTAL FORMAN, MPH, MHA UPCOMING EVENTS
Learn more and register at [ http://holistic-wellnessandhealth.com/events ]
VegDining is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion, is donating 20% of its revenue from sales of VegDining Cards all year long to veg groups around the world, including VRG.
The VegDining Card offers discounts at dozens of vegetarian restaurants and other businesses around the world. See: [ http://VegDining.com/VRG ] . If you're a VRG member, you'll receive 20% off the regular price of the card ($25).
Karina Carrillo Juarez said; "My parents are immigrants and worked harder than anyone I know to maintain a roof over my head. Despite all their attempts, we lived in some of the worst parts of Las Vegas. Police sirens and helicopters were my lullabies."
"I began to learn about veganism through You Tube. I chose to pursue a vegan diet at the end of middle school. When I first became vegan, my doctor was understandably concerned ... After a year I took a blood test because I wanted to prove everyone wrong, when she and my mom were impressed by how well I maintained or improved."
"I have a little sister with severe allergies to milk ... Because I was vegan before her dairy allergy became so strong, I've been able to make her foods that she can eat and enjoy ... My mom has started to use alternatives while cooking to make foods such as pozole, Mexican desserts, enchiladas, and my favorite which is soy ceviche."
"As I entered high school, I became very overwhelmed. I had been accepted into East Tech, for its notorious culinary program. While I was passionate about Culinary Arts, I also was very scared because I didn't want to break my values when learning about Culinary ... When people started to find out I was vegan, I was constantly made fun of ... Rather than lashing out, or letting everything get to me, I used it as motivation to become more confident in who I was ... By the middle of freshman year the entirety of my school knew me for being vegan."
"The hardest part of high school was within the culinary kitchen. At first, my freshman chef was very overwhelmed when finding out I was vegan. He's had the same curriculum for years and years, but I came in and changed that. I didn't expect to be treated special, but he didn't want to make me feel left out. We did collide a couple times, and had some arguments, but with time we learned how to work together. I learned a lot from him, because he was extremely experienced in the Culinary World ... Often times he would teach me how to tweak certain recipes so that I could enjoy them alongside the rest of my class. When we began to gain confidence, we would even experiment with different things as we tried to veganize tricky recipes. With time, Chef asked me to teach the class a couple things about being vegan, eating healthy, and avoiding allergens, because he thought it would be useful knowledge for anyone planning to work in the Culinary industry ... He even started to create lessons on vegan food for the entire class, not just me ... One of my most thrilling moments was when I walked into the culinary refrigerator to search for regular ingredients. What I found was so exciting to me. My heart fluttered a bit, and I rushed out to talk to our chef. Inside a pretty purple box, were twelve containers of soy milk. Within the box there was so much more than soy milk. The school buying this meant I was finally accepted, and that the minds of my teachers were more open to my lifestyle."
"My senior project was one of my proudest moments in high school .. I had been cooking for two days straight. Without any sleep, I arrived to school with nearly 400 servings of baked vegan goods. We were only required to have 200, but I was afraid of running out."
"I was really nervous to present ... Senior celebration day is huge. All the hallways, fishbowls, and banquet halls become filled with senior presentations ... Even school district administration, such as the superintendent show up to school."
"As I began presenting to everyone, I became fearful I was acting 'too vegan.' I wanted people to listen to me and not become close minded ... Rather than spending a minute or two talking to me, they'd spend up to twenty minutes ... One culinary teacher brought professional chefs he had been friends with for decades. He was a little nervous, and wanted to make sure I made a good impression on them. I was nervous too. To my surprise, they became amazed with the alternatives I tried and intrigued by the science I explained ... 'My food was gone about 45 minutes before presentations ended, and yet people still came to my station ... I loved the conversation I had with everyone. They weren't afraid to contradict me, and so that allowed me to be able to respond and inform them on misconceptions in a kind way'"
The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship is February 20, 2020.
Applicants should be graduating high school in spring of 2020. For details and to see other scholarship winners, go to [ https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]
To support additional scholarships and internships, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ] (We'd love to be able to give runner-up scholarships, as there are so many great entries...) Call (410) 366-8343, or mail a check to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
I interned with The Vegetarian Resource Group to complete the final 80 hours of my Dietetic Internship with the College of Saint Elizabeth. The VRG gave me the opportunity to finish out my work remotely following a medical emergency. My preceptors were extremely accommodating to my schedule and erased any stress that I had about not being able to complete my internship. It is thanks to this opportunity that I will be moving forward with my Dietetic career in a timely fashion.
My time with VRG greatly improved my skills in nutrition writing. I've learned how to translate nutrition research into an accessible format for people without a nutrition background. Reed challenged me to write pieces that the lay public will not only understand but relate to and be able to apply the lessons to their own lives. Her guidance through the editing process from scientific writing to plain-English blog post was critical to my success, and with her help I will be published (for the first time) in print editions of the Vegetarian Journal in the future! These writing lessons will accompany me for the entirety of my career in Dietetics because I believe that information and research is ineffective unless people are able to incorporate the findings into their lives, which they cannot do without first understanding the results.
While interning with VRG I also was able to participate in the ongoing Vegan SNAP project created by a past intern. I found this project to be a challenging, but important endeavor as it will hopefully guide many SNAP-dependent and budget-conscious vegans in their purchasing habits in the future. These guides are going to help people maintain the integrity of their dietary choices while also ensuring proper nutrition and preventing deficiencies. Providing a professional guide for vegans will hopefully help relieve the additional stress placed on them by a society that questions their nutritional adequacy. I hope my efforts in refining the menus were helpful and that with the help of future interns, the project will be seen through to completion and put out into the public as a resource for those who need it.
I appreciate everything that I have learned while at the VRG and most importantly the people who I came into contact with - all of whom were friendly, knowledgeable, dedicated and helpful. I will continue to refer to VRG with future questions and input in the future, and will definitely recommend it as a reliable resource to my friends, family, and future clients/patients.
For more information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see: [ https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php ]
To support VRG outreach and education, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
Some members have asked us about home delivery of vegetarian food for aged parents, or for themselves when they can no longer cook.
VRG intern Amy, who volunteered for Meals on Wheels, let us know about Mom's Meals Nourish Care. This national service caters to seniors and those with special needs. You can pay individually on your own. They also provide refrigerated, home-delivered meals to the elderly, disabled, and individuals in poor health, who are eligible for economic assistance through Medicaid Waiver or other government funded nutrition programs. Mom's states that they offer vegetarian options with some vegan entrées available.
See: [ https://www.momsmeals.com/healthcare-organizations/menus/ ]
For a list of other delivery services, see: [ https://www.vrg.org/links/CateringPersonalChefServicesAndMealDeliveryServices.htm ]
If you are anything like me, you probably follow a lot of vegan food news pages on Instagram, Facebook, and in magazines, and you see photos of beautiful vegan food on the daily. Also, if you are like me, you have no idea how to make food look like that yourself. Last week, two VRG interns, Amy Dell and myself, went with Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor Rissa Miller and her husband Nathanial Corn (together they own Balance Photography) to assist in photographing all of the delicious foods the vegan Greener Kitchen restaurant and wholesaler offers. It turns out there is a lot more that goes into making those mouth-watering photos than I had previously thought!
Preparation is important for ensuring smooth transition between photographing different dishes. Prior to the photoshoot, Brenda, who is one of the owners of the Greener Kitchen, put together a shot list to give order to the photoshoot. Organization and timeliness are necessary for food photography because food starts to get droopy and unphotogenic fairly quickly. For instance, when photographing their Philly cheesesteak sandwich, we had to act quickly so that the cheese sauce did not ooze too much (the cheese sauce was incredible if you are wondering). You have to photograph it just like how you want to eat it--right away!
Clean plates, fresh food, food placement, and lighting are the key ingredients to creating appetizing photos. Great photos are necessary for advertisement and appealing menus, so booking a food photographer is a good investment (unless you are already a master photographer of course). Rissa and Nathaniel did the bulk of the photography, while Amy and I held reflectors and moved food between several photo stations to change up the lighting. Oh, and we also helped eat all the food! Photographing food makes you very hungry, and then very full...like uncomfortably full.
I took two photos of their seitan sausages, one of which showed Rissa moving a plate away from the shot (rearrangement is her specialty). I took a black and white film photography class in college, and I was never very good, so it was no surprise to me that I did not take the best photos. I learned that it takes a lot of experience to capture food and all of its glory.
Located in Pigtown, Baltimore, The Greener Kitchen is all vegan. They have indoor
seating, a deli with house-made vegan cheeses and meats, delectable desserts, and
homemade vegan condiments that you can purchase and take home! The Greener Kitchen
is fighting for food justice by providing healthy and affordable plant-based food to
the local community. See: [ https://www.facebook.com/greenerkitchenco/ ]
[ http://www.thegreenerkitchen.com/ ]
Balance Photography can be reached at [ https://www.facebook.com/Balance-Photography-49502519726/ ]
[ https://www.facebook.com/pg/Balance-Photography-49502519726/photos/?ref=page_internal ]
For information about interning at The Vegetarian Resource Group, visit: [ https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php ]
o see information about other restaurants in the USA and Canada, see: [ https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php ]
Saturday, July 20th some of the VRG gang geared up for Roots Market's fourth annual vegan festival in Clarksville, MD to spread vegan love! The festival attracted vendors with free samples, as well as outreach groups looking to recruit, inform, and fundraise. The Vegetarian Resource Group booth was situated between Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor Rissa Miller's booth for Burleigh Manor Animal Sanctuary and a freezer case full of Gardein products that were buy two get one free for the vegan holiday (yes, I left with some). The day was extremely hot with a heat index of 115 degrees, so we were thankful when someone would reach in to grab some plant-based meat and we would get a blast of cool air!
Dedicated vendors and organizations set up around 9:30 to prepare for a day of vegan activism in the wet Maryland heat. Attendees started showing up around 10, when the doors were to open. Many people arrived early for the swag bag giveaway, for which people waited in a line out the door to receive one of the 100 vegan goodie bags including various snacks and wellness samples. While they waited in line, festival attendees could snack on the various trays of vegan samples situated across the store, including chips and guacamole/salsa, Amy's new vegan pizza rolls, Hodo products, peanut butter fudge cookies, chocolate covered nuts, and more!
The sales and samples attracted a lot of people to the festival, in addition to the hot meals being offered by Roots market. Lunch options were a vegan mac and cheese bar with all the toppings and neat-o pies made with corn chips, new Beyond Beef, vegan cheese, sour cream, and green onion. For a sweet treat, they were serving donut sundaes with coconut ice cream and yummy toppings. Thanks to Rissa Miller and her partner Nathaniel Corn for buying Amy and I food throughout the day! We were so happy to get to sample all of the amazing food offered at the festival, especially the decadent donut sundae.
In addition to all of the informational booths and the seemingly endless food supply, there were other festivities taking place around the festival to celebrate the arts. Rissa had a poetry reading in Nest, a clothing and gift shop near Roots Market, during which she read one of her sections in an all-vegan-authored anthology called Vegan Tales. After the reading, I had to order a copy; I suggest you do as well! In addition to poetry, there was also live music happening throughout the day inside of the cafe within the market.
The atmosphere was lively, energetic, and engaging despite the heat. By the end of the day, I had gotten used to the heat and still had energy (thank you caffeine!) to pass out copies of the Vegetarian Journal and I Love Animals and Broccoli coloring books. We met many people who wanted to join our email list or volunteer in the future. This was my first time ever attending any sort of all-vegan event, and I was not disappointed!
Being in a predominately all-vegan audience was nice because I felt there was less chance I would be challenged for my lifestyle. Only one person I engaged with was not vegan or vegetarian, and I think we had a very productive conversation. He came up to our table and pointed to the picture of the cow on the coloring book and said, 'You see, those things are causing a lot of environmental damage, which is why we must eat them!' I took this moment to explain supply and demand and how eating the cows creates more supply for them, so we should stop eating them. My favorite part about having booths with the VRG is those moments when you can tell you planted a seed that may save animals in the future. It makes standing out in the 115 degree weather totally worth it.
For information about Roots Market, see [ https://rootsmkt.com/ ]
For information about VRG internships, see [ https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php ]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php ]
Our interns Amy and Emily have been busy! They have tabled at the Waverly Farmers Market, made casseroles for a local meal center, helped out at cooking classes, written blog articles, and more. We're so glad to have them!
We sent about 2500 handouts and about 1000 Vegetarian Journals to be distributed at VegFests and farmers' markets around the country. We sent over 100 brochures and fliers to a high school student in the Miami Springs area to help her get started with a vegetarian club at her school. See available handouts: [ https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/ ]
We've also awarded $20,000 in scholarships this year to graduating high school seniors! To see the winners of our annual scholarship, or to learn more about the requirements for applying for next year, go to: [ https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]
As a non-profit, we can only take on new projects when we are able to get support from donors and our dedicated volunteers. Right now, we are seeking your support for the following:
Thanks to the following VRG volunteers for all your hard work with The Vegetarian Resource Group, including, posting to social media, writing blog posts, research, presentations, restaurant research, clerical work, writing HTML, contributing to our vegan parents group, doing media interviews, editing, performing nutrition analysis, helping with our newsletters, and more!
We could use help developing our vegetarian senior guide. If you know of any senior living facilities that are accommodating to vegetarian or vegan seniors, especially by regularly offering vegetarian or vegan meals, please let us know! If you're willing to do some research on this, please reach out as well. We are looking for people in various areas who can reach out to facilities via phone, e-mail, or even in-person.
You can see our current senior guide here: [ https://www.vrg.org/seniors/senior_vegan.php ]
We could use help with promoting our Pre-Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck in the fall. We’ll also need help setting up and cleaning up on the day of the event. Please e-mail Gene at [email protected] if you're interested in assisting.
To volunteer at VRG, please contact Gene at [email protected]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group's outreach, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
Support Vegan Education by joining the Vegetarian Resource Group for 2 years for only $35 and receive the cookbook, Simply Vegan, as well as a subscription to our quarterly publication, Vegetarian Journal.
To join VRG: Go to [ https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php ]
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:
[ https://www.vrg.org/journal/ ] )
To sign up for the The Vegetarian Resource Group national email newsletter, please visit:
[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-news_lists.vrg.org ]
We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!!
| VRG Parents and Kids |
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 GroupTo donate: [ https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1565 ]
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
FAX: (410) 366-8804 E-mail: [email protected]
Website: [ https://www.vrg.org/ ]
Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2019 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.
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The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan 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 best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
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