Why You Should Walk to the Golden Gate Bridge

By Lisa Rimmert, Director of Development

golden gate bridge

If you’re anything like Vegan Outreach supporter Eric Day, you won’t let a few miles—okay, 50—stop you from helping animals! For our upcoming Team Vegan fundraising drive, Eric plans to raise money by walking all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco!

Now we’re asking all our Team Vegan members to walk 50 miles.

Just kidding!

Beginning May 1—and through June 30—animal activists from all over the world will team up to raise much-needed funds for VO’s work. This campaign’s success depends on your participation! I promise you don’t have to walk 50 miles.

Will you join the fun today by starting your very own Team Vegan fundraising page?

It’s free to join, and you get to choose your own fundraising goal and activity. Past participants have done leaflet-a-thons, run 5K races, walked a mile for every dollar raised, and more! Others have simply raised money with no physical challenge, and that’s great as well! Email us for ideas!

The money you raise will pay for VO’s fall outreach work. Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $235,000—doubling their impact for animals! And there are prizes and fun for you along the way!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to email Eric and make sure he has a ride home!

Register now to be part of Team Vegan!

Chris Shapard

Chris_Shapard-Utah-Mar17-2201

Keeping up with our series of activist profiles, today we’ll meet Vegan Outreach’s Christopher Shapard. He’s been leafleting college campuses—and braving the cold temperatures—in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Utah.

Chris has shown some serious dedication this spring, leafleting 20 schools and distributing over 10,000 booklets! Let’s get to know him a little bit better!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was born and raised in Park City, UT. I’m currently living in Salt Lake City after a brief hiatus away from Utah.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I’ve always felt a strong sense of empathy for others, animals and humans alike. I started to connect the dots with my food choices in high school, but didn’t make a big change until I started college and read the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. That book cleared up all the jumbled thoughts in my head, and it pushed me to become vegetarian.

After college, I felt my core values weren’t being fulfilled in the marketing world, so I decided to act on them completely. I applied for an internship with PETA and hesitantly embraced veganism at the same time. It turned out to be the best decision of my life. Since then my journey has been transformative and amazing.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I did some leafleting during my time at PETA, and I was introduced to Vegan Outreach and some other animal activists at that time. Once I returned to Salt Lake City to work with the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition (FFAC), I was connected with the Vegan Outreach team and asked to help with leafleting in the region!

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

One recent moment that comes to mind was at a smaller college in northern Utah. There was a religious group who’d traveled from their church in Mobile, AL to “have a dialogue” with some of the other religious groups on campus. Members from the Alabama group approached me throughout the day, and I had several interesting conversations! I spoke with a woman who was mostly vegetarian, and she got really excited when she realized why I was there. She launched into a small lecture to her peers on the ways veganism fits into the Christian worldview—I barely had to say anything! I directed her to some good resources and she was ecstatic.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I ski in the winter, and bike, hike, and golf when the weather permits. I mess around on my acoustic guitar just enough to keep me sane, and cook and bake as often as I can—which sadly isn’t much these days. I watch films at the local indie theater and I enjoy watching documentaries on Netflix. I like reading, listening to music, and getting together with other vegans and activists.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

I applaud everyone who has done one or more leafleting tours. It takes a lot of stamina to go out there again and again, and it’s not always an easy role to play!

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

Louisville Vegan Jerky! If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying this brand yet, it’s excellent. All meat eaters I’ve given some to can’t believe it’s vegan.

Berry Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

Berry Cheesecake
Renee Press / Fire and Earth Kitchen

Who says you have to give up cheesecake when you’re vegan? You won’t find anyone at VO saying that—that’s for sure!

Thank you to Renee Press with Fire and Earth Kitchen, who has provided this delicious recipe!

Berry Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

Yields about 12 cheesecake squares.

Ingredients

Crust

  • ¾ cup raw almonds
  • ¾ cup raw walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup

Filling

  • 1 ½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in water
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup agave or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup berries of choice (blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries)

Chocolate

  • ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
  • ⅛ cup almond milk

Directions

  1. To Prepare the Crust: In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, sea salt, and cinnamon until a fine crumb is achieved. Add the pitted, coarsely chopped dates and the agave or maple syrup and process again until it comes together and becomes sticky. If you pinch the nut mixture it should hold together.
  2. Place parchment paper or plastic wrap into an 8″ x 8″ square baking dish, letting it hang over the sides a few inches so you can lift it out later. Press nut mixture into the bottom in an even layer. Put it in the freezer to chill.
  3. To Prepare the Chocolate and the Filling: Put chocolate chips in a small heat safe bowl. In a small saucepan heat almond milk and pour over chocolate, stirring to melt. Will take 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside. In a blender, put in all filling ingredients. Blend 1-3 minutes until completely creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add a little water if needed to make it totally smooth.
  4. Pour filling on top of nut mixture, and spread chocolate on top of that. Cover whole dish in parchment/plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least one hour, but up to overnight. To serve, remove from freezer and lift the entire dessert out onto a cutting board. Remove parchment/plastic wrap from the bottom and cut into cubes. Let warm a little bit at room temperature. Serve and enjoy!

Cristina Myers

Cris Meyers

A night home watching Netflix changed Cristina Myers life, transforming her into a dedicated activist for animals and other social issues.

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we speak with Vegan Outreach’s Cristina Myers who, as an Outreach Coordinator, is spreading the vegan message to people all over the world in addition to the college campuses she’s been visiting this semester. She’s currently on tour in the Southeast and has passed out over 27,000 leaflets at 39 schools.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Seville, Spain. I moved to the US when I was a teen. I’m currently based out of Miami.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I was 80 pounds overweight, dealing with pre-diabetic symptoms, and I struggled with my cholesterol levels. I had a horrible self-image. I suffered from migraines and I didn’t know why. I had difficulty breathing, and I had joint pain in my knees from carrying around extra weight. I was 24 years old and my doctor said that I should be very concerned about my heart.

One night I didn’t go out with my friends because I had nothing to wear that would fit me—I was embarrassed at how big I’d gotten. Netflix was just becoming a common form of media, and I stumbled over a documentary called Forks Over Knives and it changed my life. The first five minutes described my health issues to a T, and the film explained how to reverse all of those issues. I went vegan that night, and my first month I lost nearly 20 pounds by just cutting out meat and dairy!

My joints ached less and less and my migraines disappeared. I had more energy than I knew what to do with! I discovered weight lifting and kept going on my journey to loving myself. I made a connection to what was happening to animals after watching Earthlings just a few months later. The only way I got through the horrible footage is because I owed it to animals to watch what I had done to them for over two decades. I went vegan for my health, but I stay passionately vegan for animals and the environment.

I just want my fellow brothers and sisters to feel happy with their bodies and to be healthy. I want people to stop contributing to animal suffering. I want complete animal liberation. I want to heal the planet from what we have done and are currently doing to destroy it. There isn’t much time left—newer generations will not be able to enjoy life like we have. And I’m going to do the best I can to help.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I’d been hearing about the leafleting life for years. I started out as a volunteer, joining Vegan Outreach leafleters in the Washington, DC area. I’m still pinching myself VO gave me a shot to do my own tour!

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

I love meeting people who’ve gone vegan because of a leaflet Vegan Outreach has given them. I hope one day someone will do the same with one of mine.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I sing, weight train, create awareness on social media of the suffering of animals and people, feed the homeless people of Miami, volunteer time to entertain foster children, meditate, and read. I also have a huge interest in metaphysics.

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter…is life!

Lasagna, Cake, and Cute Animals

By Victor Flores, Greater New Mexico Community Engagement and Events Coordinator

A few weeks ago, my family and I—representing Vegan Outreach—had the opportunity to join the season opening of Santuario de Karuna, a farmed animal sanctuary located about 30 miles outside of Albuquerque, NM.

Knowing that the majority of the visitors would not be vegan, we set up a booth with various types of pro-veg literature, in addition to serving the crowd vegan lasagna, ice cream, and cake. After the meal, several people returned to ask for the lasagna recipe, and many were surprised to learn that all of the meal ingredients could be purchased at their local grocery stores. Under the assumption that vegans don’t eat foods like the types we served, we overheard many of the visitors say that they’d changed their perspective on vegan food.

Attendees Sanctuario De Karuna

Serving Lasgana

Victor Serving Cake

Karla Serving Ice Cream

Being at the sanctuary helped the visitors make the connection between who and what they generally consume. As they toured the sanctuary, many were brought to tears as they heard the rescue stories of the animals. I don’t think the experience will be easily forgotten by those who attended this heart-opening event!

Musicians

Prince

We want to send a huge thanks to the sanctuary’s co-founders Tamara Hubbard and Coral Ricketts for allowing us to be a part of this event where many vegan seeds were planted.

Delicious Banana Muffins

By Steve Ann Chambers, President

Banana Muffins

Vegan Outreach supporters, Vijay and Rashmi Baliga, and their daughter, Devika, recently treated me to a delicious homemade breakfast at their beautiful home in Redmond, WA. As part of the meal, they served banana muffins. One bite and I instantly knew I had to share this recipe with our readers.

Thank you, Rashmi and Devika, for sharing this truly delicious recipe! I’m sure there will be many vegans making themselves these banana muffins in the near future and enjoying them as much as I did!

Delicious Banana Muffins

Yields about 12 muffins.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup soymilk
  • ¼ tablespoon vinegar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup almond flour*
  • ½ cup almond meal*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup walnuts

*Almond flour is blanched (skins removed, beige in color), whereas Almond Meal can be blanched or unblanched (skins not removed, more brown in color). The almond skin gives the muffins a better taste and color.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine soymilk and vinegar to make vegan “buttermilk.” Let sit for five minutes.
  3. Mix oil, vanilla, and mashed bananas together. Then add buttermilk to banana mixture.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients, except the walnuts, to the banana/buttermilk mixture.
  5. Add walnuts after the dry and wet ingredients are well combined.
  6. Add mixture to muffin baking tin(s) that contain paper baking tin liners. The size of the baking tin(s) used will determine the muffin size and number.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips/Variations

  • You can add any other type of nut you’d like in place of or in addition to the walnuts.
  • Add any other goodies you desire, such as white chocolate chips.

Alexis Clark

Alexis_Clark-NYU-Mar17

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Vegan Outreach Intern Alexis Clark. A New Jersey native, Alexis was asked to leaflet colleges in her home state, as well as in New York City and Long Island, NY. To date, she’s distributed over 12,000 booklets!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m originally from Wall, NJ. And after leaving for a few years to attend various colleges, I’m back for the time being.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I started removing animal products during my first year of college when I realized how the food we eat affects not just our physical health, but our mental health as well. Although my original motivation was health, once I made the full transition I was ready to open my mind up to the ethical reasons of why veganism is necessary if we truly love animals and want a more peaceful world.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I actually found out about Vegan Outreach when I received a leaflet during my first year at Rutgers University! Once I became vegan, I immediately wanted to join the fight to end animal suffering. I contacted Vegan Outreach to ask about internships, and I was put in contact with Outreach Coordinator Kimberly Moffatt, and I joined her at several New Jersey schools for two weeks as a volunteer. Now I’m on my own tour!

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

By far the best moment I’ve had leafleting was when I gave a leaflet to a mother and her young son. They read the information and told me they were both going to stop eating meat. It was just so encouraging as an animal rights activist to see a mother give her child such important information at such a young age, knowing that he could make the connection.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I love to travel! I’m currently planning a six-month cross-country trip for next year—I plan to visit a bunch of animal sanctuaries. I’ve been spending my spare time researching how to convert a cargo van into a livable space. I also paint!

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

It’s such a rewarding experience knowing that you’re getting information out to people who might have no idea what’s going on inside the factory farming industry.

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

Look out for NUMU Vegan Cheese! It isn’t currently available in stores, but you can have it on pizza at a number of restaurants in NYC—check out NUMU’s Instagram for a list. If substituting cheese is something you’re worried about, I’m telling you, you’ll never miss real cheese again.

Pooja Rathor

Pooja Rathor

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Pooja Rathor. In January 2016, Director of Outreach Vic Sjodin and Kimberly Moffatt embarked on Vegan Outreach’s first tour of India. There they met Pooja, who soon joined Vegan Outreach as our first India Outreach Coordinator! In the spring semester, she leafleted 23 different schools, reaching more than 15,000 students. We’re looking forward to seeing how many more booklets she can hand out this fall! Read on to get better acquainted with Pooja.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was born and raised in Delhi, India, and I live there now as well.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

When I was 3 years old, I rescued an abandoned puppy. He was covered with mud. When I brought him home, my mother was shocked, but I kept on saying, “Please don’t get angry!” That was my first instant connection with an animal.

I have rescued caged rabbits, rats, pigeons and numerous dogs since then. After watching a video of pigs on their way to slaughter, I cried a lot that night, imagining the torture they would go through. I knew I had to do something more effective to reduce their suffering. That’s how, after researching, I came to know about veganism.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

After learning about veganism, I wasn’t able to stop myself from becoming an activist. Eventually I became familiar with the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO). I started leafleting as a volunteer for FIAPO. In January 2016, I met Victor Sjodin and Kimberly Moffatt while they were on their Vegan Outreach tour of India. Through them I learned about Vegan Outreach and their amazing work.

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

Recently I went to Christ University in Bangalore. Two girls came back after receiving leaflets. They told me they had found the same leaflets at Carrots, a vegan restaurant in Bangalore, and after reading the booklet they both became vegan. They were so excited and happy to meet me!

Pooja and dogs

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I doodle, watch movies, spend time with my friends and family, and feed and pamper my stray dogs, cats and cows.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

Be genuine and just keep a big smile on your face while approaching people. Even if they don’t take the leaflet, just say thank you—often after that they come back to get a leaflet.

Beany Bites

By Wendy Gabbe Day, Guest Contributor

Raising Vegan Kids—Protein-Packed Snacks!

Beans, beans, the protein-packed snack, the more my kids eat, the more they come back—for seconds! Beans are little super foods. They’re an excellent source of protein, complex carbs, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

And best of all, beans are inexpensive and super versatile. I blend beans into sauces, mash them into oatmeal, toss them on veggies and main dishes, and even whip them into creamy dips and desserts.

My kids love hand-held snacks, so these beany bites are perfect to munch on at home or to pack along on adventures. These bites are very easy and quick to make, and a wonderful nutrient-dense snack for any time of the day.

Beans-2

Beany Bites

Yields 3 ½-4 cups.

Ingredients

  • 3 ½-4 cups cooked beans (i.e., kidney, pinto, etc.)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
  • Salt
  • Onion powder

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  2. Drain and rinse beans—if using canned. Pat dry with a towel.
  3. In a large bowl, toss beans with soy sauce, vinegar, and coconut oil.
  4. Arrange beans in a single layer on a baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with salt and onion powder.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. They’ll still be soft and a bit moist. Bake longer if you want a drier texture.

Recipe Tips/Variations

  • You can toss the beans with a little barbecue sauce or ketchup in step 3 above. And feel free to sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper, thyme, oregano—or any spices you enjoy!

Updated Website Content—Vegan Outreach Australia

By Sam Tucker, Australia and New Zealand Outreach Coordinator

Australia

I recently updated the Australian section of Vegan Outreach’s website by adding information on where to find the best vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants across Australia. I’ve also added a page describing the suffering animals experience on factory farms and slaughterhouses in Australia and New Zealand.

I’ve noticed that a lot of people in Australia and New Zealand think that factory farming is something that doesn’t happen here, and many people think that we treat animals more humanely than in the United States. For this reason, I think it’s important to show people exactly how animals are treated here, using footage and pictures exclusively from Australia and New Zealand.