By Casey Brown, VRG intern

Taking Action for Animals (TAFA) is an animal rights conference presented by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). This is a unique conference that allows people to learn effective strategies for animal advocacy. It was held June 17-June 20, 2016, and throughout the weekend various workshops, sessions, and lobbying opportunities were offered. This event included speakers Wayne Pacelle, the President and CEO of HSUS; David Carter, the 300-Pound Vegan; and Dr. Michael Gregor, the author of How Not to Die.

As an intern with The VRG, I was able to volunteer at the conference to share our resources with the community. Many people who visited the conference were interested in cooking and eating more plant-based foods. They were eager for recipes and information pertaining to a vegan lifestyle. We were able to provide them with many of our resources including our Vegetarian Journal, recipe books, and brochures addressing the environmental benefits to a plant-based diet, nutritional aspects to veganism, and much more. It was inspiring to hear everyone’s stories during the conference. We spoke with a man from South Africa who bonded with his young niece through nature, and he was looking forward to sharing resources with her to show her the connection between nature and food. There were multiple people that were looking for resources they could take home to share with others. People wanted copies of The VRG Journal to put in their break rooms at work, coloring books to share with their students, and any additional resources to carry around and share with people they meet throughout the day. It was inspiring to see the changes and initiatives people are taking in order to spread the lifestyle throughout the world, and it is exciting to be a part of this movement. Overall, this was a fun event, and it was a great opportunity to educate the community and interact with other organizations.

To volunteer at VRG booths or in other ways, contact Brigette at [email protected]

To support VRG outreach, donate at www.vrg.org/donate