top
2) A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Last month I had the pleasure of attending VRG's University of Maryland Dietetic Intern Day and to speak to the interns about my vegan twin pregnancy. I brought my daughters, Della and Millie, along as tangible evidence that infants can thrive on a vegan diet. We discussed my diet during pregnancy, my breastfeeding journey, and what the diet of two vegan 8-month-olds consists of. I was one of several speakers who each had different reasons for choosing a vegan diet and have faced a variety of obstacles and experiences since becoming vegan.
These interns, and others like them at different dietetic programs throughout the country, will be advising patients with varying diets throughout their careers. VRG has been hosting UMD dietetic interns for many years and providing them with important resources on vegan diets and scenarios they may face when working with a vegan patient.
To support outreach such as the dietetic intern day at VRG, visit [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
top
3) VRG HIGHLIGHTS
- Reed Mangels, PhD RD, delivered the 3rd annual Denis Burkitt Memorial Lecture, entitled "Can Plant-based Diets Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias in Women?" at the Plant-Based Prevention of Disease conference.
- Intern Taylor Gale assisted two local Baltimore restaurants as well as the Loyola student dinning hall with adding more vegan options.
- A doula and Breastfeeding Counselor from Dallas Texas requested materials from us on pregnancy and breastfeeding. She will hosting an event to promote breastfeeding amongst African-American women in August.
- We hosted nine dietetic interns for an in-service at our Baltimore office, none of whom were vegetarians. They had a lot of questions, and we did our best to get them to think more about how to help their future vegetarian clients. Special thanks to Rissa Miller and Whitney Blomquist for sharing their experiences.
- We'd like to take this time to say goodbye to our spring interns. Your help on the blog, doing restaurant research, food reviews, nutritional research, and leading cooking classes was invaluable to us, and we hope the experiences you had and the connections you made continue to benefit you as well in your future activism!
- We've also selected this year’s scholarship winners! Go to our scholarship page to see more:
[ https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]
top
4) VRG BOOTHS AND EVENTS
Come visit us at these VRG booths!
MARYLAND AREA EVENTS
- Waverly Farmers' Market
- Saturday, June 22nd, 2019
Baltimore, MD
- Roots - Clarksville Vegan Fest
- Saturday, July 20, 2019
Clarksville, MD
- Vegan SoulFest
- Saturday, August 3rd, 2019
Clifton Park
Baltimore, MD
EVENTS OUTSIDE OF MARYLAND:
- Animal Rights National Conference
- Thursday to Sunday, July 25-28, 2019
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
Alexandria, VA
- DC VegFest
- Sunday, August 11, 2019
Nationals Park, Washington DC
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics FNCE
- Sunday to Tuesday, October 27-29, 2019
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, PA
- VRG Annual Vegan Dinner
- Sunday, October 27, 2019, 6pm
Su Xing
Philadelphia, PA
If you're interested in helping us at one of our booths, contact Gene Slothour-Hudnall at
[email protected].
If you would like to donate towards our veggie outreach, donate at:
[ https://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
If you’re interested in helping us at one of our booths, contact Gene Slothour-Hudnall at
[email protected].
top
5) OTHER UPCOMING VEGETARIAN/VEGAN EVENTS
Below are upcoming events occurring nationally and internationally. The VRG will not be at these events but we want to share them with you in case you live in or will be traveling to the area they are taking place and wish to attend:
NAVS Vegan Summerfest
Wednesday - Sunday, July 3rd - 7th, 2019
Conference Center at Pitt-Johnstown
Johnstown, PA
17th Satvik Vegan Festival
Friday - Sunday, August 9th - 11th, 2019
Sthitaprajna (Simplicity-Solitude-Silence)
Hoseri, Yeljit Village,Byndoor-576214, Udupi Dist., Karnataka, India
Vegan India Conference
Saturday & Sunday, July 6-7th, 2019
New Delhi, India
47th IVU World Vegfest
August 23rd-25th, 2019
Albany VegFest
Sunday, September 8th, 2019
Albany Capital Center
Albany, NY
top
6) VEGETARIAN VIDEO CONTEST JULY 25 DEADLINE
Create and submit a video relating what you want to tell others about vegetarianism
and/or veganism.
Some possible topics: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism and/or vegetarianism,
water usage and vegetarianism, vegetarianism and animal rights, or other vegetarian
topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be
positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You
may submit a video you have already made.
Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others.
Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video,
to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media.
DEADLINE: July 15th , 2019
See: [ https://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php ]
top
7) MY VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP INTERNSHIP -- LOYOLA STUDENT
By Emma Giebel, Loyola student
I came into this internship ready to learn, but also hesitant. While I
was excited about the opportunity to learn more about veganism and
expand my writing skills, my lack of experience working for a
publication, or in any field of professional writing, made me concerned
about whether or not I was qualified for this position. Growing up, I
was never a great writer. Math and science were my best subjects, and I
usually struggled with essays throughout high school. It wasn’t until
college that I really found a way to make writing a skill of mine. I
decided that my growing interest in environmentalism was more than just
an interest, and that it would hopefully evolve into a career, but I
would need to be able to communicate the science that I knew to those
that may not have a scientific background. For the next semester, I
registered for “Writing about the Environment,” where I was able to
write about environmental issues that I feel passionate about, personal
experiences with my environment, and other works pertaining to science
and the planet. I had such a great time doing the work for that class,
and it took some time for me to realize exactly why; I was writing about
something I cared about. I care about the planet, so writing about
issues surrounding the planet would be far more interesting to me than
any essay I’ve written in the past. This realization helped me prepare
for this internship, because vegetarianism and health are passions of
mine that I was ready to explore.
My favorite aspect of this internship was that I was able to work
on a variety of different projects at one time. Whether I was writing up
restaurant guides, assisting with scholarship applications, or working
on one of my many articles, I was participating in different aspects of
vegan activism. While researching information for the restaurant guides,
I was able to see a wide variety of new up and coming restaurants
throughout the country. Whether they were soul food buffets or small
cafés, they always made me crave the amazing options they served.
Reviewing the scholarship applications was very uplifting considering
the many young people that are already participating in activism work at
such a young age. So many applicants showed a passion for veganism and
vegetarianism, that it must have been incredibly difficult to find out
who was the most deserving. My favorite responsibility during this
internship involved the many articles that I wrote, covering topics such
as restaurant reviews, meal advice for teenage vegans, product reviews
for Veggie Bits, an interview with Steve Brill concerning education
about edible wild plants, or the reactions to working booths on my campus.
One of my favorite articles that I wrote was a review for a café on Long
Beach Island, NJ called Living on the Veg. When I spent a weekend down
at the beach, I went to the café to grab lunch, and it was an amazing
experience. It was the first vegan sandwich of its kind that I had ever
tried, and I know it will become a staple of my diet this upcoming
summer when I will be living there. Through writing about food for these
past few months, I now know more about the complexities of a restaurant
or product reviews that I previously would have never considered. There
are a near endless number of variables that contribute to what make a
meal "good" or "great," and trying to capture every one of them is more
difficult than one may think. But what has made this process far easier
is the "why" of it all.
While I have raved about the delicious entrées at the restaurants
I have visited and the snacks I have tried, the most important part of
eating vegan is the reason behind it; because those that are vegan care
about the interests of the planet and the animals over the desire to eat
meat. The Vegetarian Resource Group puts in all the effort we do,
whether that’s providing helpful information about health, spreading
awareness about environmentalism, or sharing a guide of vegan-friendly
restaurants, because we want to see a world where it’s commonplace and
easy to be vegan. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work for this
information, especially knowing that I have contributed to a cause that
has become such a huge part of my life recently. I hope to carry on the
lessons I have learned in my short time here in my career in the future.
For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see
[ https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php ]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at
[ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
top
8) TWENTY PERCENT OF U.S. ADULTS ALWAYS OR SOMETIMES EAT VEGAN MEALS WHEN EATING OUT
With Target selling almond and soy milk, Chipotle carrying Sofritas as well as listing it as vegan bowl on their website, Carl’s Junior offering the Beyond Burger, and Burger King adding a vegan burger, it seems there is an explosion of interest in vegan foods. However, The Vegetarian Resource Group wanted to know how many vegans there are.
In a national Harris survey, we asked the following question in 2016 and 2019… To see question and rest of article, go to: [ https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2019_adults_veg.htm ]
For more polls, see: [ https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll ]
top
9) UTAH STUDENT WINS $5,000 VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP SCHOLARSHIP
Leigh Harris said, "Growing up, I always had a passion for animals. In fact, at the age of four, I declared that I wanted to be a cheetah when I grew up. When I realized that this was not a viable option, I decided that I wanted to somehow be able to involve my passion for animals into my life ... At the age of thirteen, I was finally able to transition to vegetarianism."
"I became involved in volunteering at the Volunteers of America Youth Resource Center. Jeremy Beckham, who just happens to be the first recipient of The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship, and his partner, began the monthly dinners for homeless youth in 2015. My family and I were a part of the first volunteer group to sign up. When Amy and Jeremy have been unavailable to lead the volunteer group, we are one of the first families they call to fill in for them. We plan the meals, shop for the groceries, and organize the volunteers. It has become an event that we look forward to every month."
"Some examples of the dishes we have made are curries, sloppy Joes, lasagna, chili and cornbread. Some of the most popular dishes have been jumbo pasta shells stuffed with spinach and a homemade cashew ricotta cheese, a cheesy broccoli soup, and a chana masala with roti. We prepare enough food to feed fifty youth. The majority of them come back for seconds. There is a girl who resides at the shelter who is vegan and is always so happy to see my group when we’re making dinner. "We have a $100 dollar budget for every dinner ... which shows that you can eat a healthful diet with variety on a budget."
One reference said, "As a proud and grateful recipient of the 2003 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship and an active member in the animal protection movement, it is my distinct pleasure to recommend Leigh Harris ... Utah Animal Rights Coalition is the organizer of the annual SLC Veg Fest, the largest vegan festival in Utah, with approximately 5,000 attendees each year. Last year, Leigh was one of three young people on a panel discussing issues affecting vegan youth. Leigh shared her experiences as a vegan in middle school and high school, and provided meaningful advice for those in attendance about how to navigate tricky family and social situations as a young vegan. I was thoroughly impressed with Leigh’s natural confidence as a public speaker, her storytelling ability, and her mastery of the facts related to veganism and nutrition … Speaking from personal experience, a scholarship from VRG not only provides tangible resources for the recipient, it also carries with it a humbling endorsement of one’s character, past accomplishments, and future potential ... I truly believe ... that (Leigh) will be a steadfast and effective advocate for animal rights."
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 about past winners
and applications, see: [ https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]
To support additional scholarships and internships, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
Call (410) 366-8343, or mail a check to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
top
10) VEGAN SUMMER CAMP FOR TEENS AND ADULTS
YEA Camp is a social justice leadership camp that trains aspiring activists to make a bigger difference on causes they care about. After ten years of hosting camps for teens, last year we hosted our first session for adults.
We have three sessions of camp this year - adult camp in New York and youth sessions in Massachusetts and California.
All food served at all three camps is entirely vegan (though you don’t have to be vegan to attend camp). We are still registering campers for all three sessions of camp and still hiring health supervisors, vegan chefs, and counselors.
For more information, visit: [ https://yeacamp.org ]
top
11) JEWISH VEG IS HIRING
East Coast Engagement Manager: The East Coast Engagement Manager will primarily conduct outreach for Jewish Veg and implement programming in New York City and nationally, and will assist in fundraising as well. This employee is a respected member of the Jewish Veg professional team, providing input into strategic decisions.
For more details, visit: [ https://www.jewishveg.org/jobs ]
top
12) VRG ANNUAL VEGAN DINNER IN PHILADELPHIA, PA
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2019, 6PM
The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan dinner at Su Xing, about a six minute walk from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, on Sunday, October 27, 2019, during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet vegetarian dietitians from around the country. The public is invited.
MENU
Appetizer: seitan on stick with BBQ sauce
- Soup (choice of): hot and sour soup or tofu vegetable soup
Main Dishes:
- chow fun (rice noodle dish)
- tofu with black bean sauce
- stir-fried spinach
- stir-fried string beans
- rice
Dessert: fruit
Beverages: tea and water
MUST RESERVE AND PAY IN ADVANCE
Send $25 per person (includes tax and tip) with attendee names to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. Call (410) 366-8343. Or pay at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
and write "Philadelphia VRG Dinner" and attendee names on the "Comments" box.
If you’re coming, let everyone know on Facebook: [ https://www.facebook.com/events/370051343793410/ ]
top
13) A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS
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!
- Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
- Whitney Blomquist
- Casey Brown, RD
- Cathy Conway, RD
- Nathaniel Corn
- Keryl Cryer
- Anne Custer
- Natalie Evans
- Taylor Gale
- Emma Giebel
- Carole Hamlin
- Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
- Julia Mathew
- Rissa Miller
- David Milner
- Bryan Schroeder, RN
- Marcy Schveibinz
- Brad Scott
- Shun Shueh
Call for Volunteers
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.
You can see our current senior guide here: [ https://www.vrg.org/seniors/senior_vegan.php ]
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 ]
top
14) VRG WISH LIST
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:
We gave away stacks of books and other materials to nine dietetic interns, so they can better assist their future vegetarian clients. Could you contribute $49 to offset the cost of a supply of books and materials for one intern?
You can contribute at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
. Put "Dietetic Intern" in the comments.
Monthly and quarterly donors support our work, while allowing us to better budget by providing more predictable and steady funding. You can become a monthly or quarterly donor online here: [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
Did you know you can support VRG by buying books from our bookstore? With warmer weather approaching, consider picking up a copy of Grills Gone Vegan here today: [ https://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=94&zenid=5f9d9447c8c306b293c21a427eaf962d ]
top
15) JOIN THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP -- SUPPORT VEGAN EDUCATION
Receive The Vegetarian Journal for 2 years plus Simply Vegan: Quick Vegetarian Meals! by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
[
https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php ]
top
16) BECOME A MONTHLY VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP DONOR
[
https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1565 ]
top
17) ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP & VRG NEWS
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 ( [ http://www.vrg.org/journal/ ]
)
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] or to volunteer: Gene at [email protected]
Website: [ https://www.vrg.org/ ]
VRG-NEWS is the e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group. This is an announcement list so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact us at [email protected]. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, please direct them to [email protected]. Thanks. If you are a new subscriber, you might enjoy reading past issues of VRG-NEWS online at
[ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]
The VRG is an educational non-profit group providing information on vegetarianism and veganism. To subscribe to VRG-NEWS, go to
[ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]
To unsubscribe, or otherwise manage your subscription to VRG-NEWS, go to
[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-news_lists.vrg.org ]
(Go to the bottom of the page where it says "unsubscribe" or "edit options". You do not need a password.)
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.
top
