2015 has been a very productive year for The Vegetarian Resource Group. Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

– VRG’s Food Service Advisor Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD continues to work on amazing projects including going on a cruise with a Navy ship returning from Hawaii to Los Angeles and working with the food service specialists on board to incorporate vegan options into the available on-board foods and beverages. Nancy also did some kosher vegan menu planning and prep demos at the Long Beach, CA senior center and she is teaching several online college courses that incorporate vegetarian nutrition and culinary arts. Nancy’s Vegan in Volume published by VRG has been distributed to thousands of food service personnel in different settings.

– We continue to work with numerous High School and College interns in our Baltimore office as well as long distance (including overseas) throughout the year. VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, mentors the interns who are interested in pursuing a career in nutrition. VRG staff also works with students that are majoring in Journalism, Business, and other subjects. These young adults are the future of the vegan movement and we should all be excited about what they will bring to the cause once they graduate.

– The Vegetarian Resource Group assists media (print, web, radio, tv, etc.) including US News and World Report for an article titled “What are Mistakes that New Vegetarians Make?”, Today’s Dietitian for an article on Vitamin B12, CafeMom for a piece on vegan pregnancy and feeding vegan infants, Family magazine for an article about children who choose veggie diets and what parents should know, The Bulletin in Bend, OR for an article about vegan diets, Food Technology Magazine asked VRG about the vegan market for a piece, CBS News interviewed Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor Samantha Gendler about vegan market trends, etc.

– VRG has done numerous outreach booths including at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Atlanta, GA, Valley VegFest in Northampton, MA, Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore, MD, San Francisco, CA VegFest, Animal Rights Conference 2015 in the DC area, Charlottesville and Richmond, VA VegFests, Vegan SoulFest in Baltimore, MD, etc.

– We provide vegan handouts free-of-charge for outreach in a wide variety of locations including doctor’s offices, libraries, a cruise ship, college and high school campuses, dietitians and nurses offices, a canine carnival, church health fairs, a Halloween party, Meat-Out Day and Earth Day celebrations, animal rights conferences, food pantries, World Food Day events, hospitals, etc.

Your support is greatly appreciated! Please donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group at: www.vrg.org/support.htm