Connecting Vegetarians Worldwide
We received an e-mail from the food organizer of a national scout jamboree in New Zealand who wanted to meet the vegetarian attendees' needs. Having had personal experience with figuring out how veggie kids would manage at camps serving 'traditional' foods, we were glad to help. Furthermore, we were thrilled that this food service professional cared so much, even though she was not at all vegetarian. She went out of her way to find some meatless products in New Zealand and added pancakes made with soymilk and without eggs, as well as vegan ice cream, to the menu. Though all of the options weren't vegan, she located yogurt without gelatin and cheese without animal rennet.
For three months this past fall, The VRG hosted a volunteer who took a break from his career in France just so he could learn about activism in the United States and, therefore, how to better promote veganism in France and Hungary. At the same time, one of our web volunteers was working on an organic farm in Finland. While in Europe, she added a note on our blog (www.vrg.org/blog/) about joining The Vegetarian Resource Group. To our amusement, somebody who was in a restaurant around the corner from our office in Maryland saw it and came over to join, because of one volunteer's efforts thousands of miles away.
It certainly is a small world, and vegetarianism is spreading everywhere. In spite of all the violence and hate around the globe, we're pleased that, with your help, we can be a connection among people around the planet who want to create better lives for humans and non-human animals. We can't solve all of the ills that surround us, but we thank you all for your financial and volunteer support and for the good deeds you do to make the world a better place.
We would like to say, "See you later!" to Jeannie McStay, who has left The VRG staff after 11 years. Thank you to all of our members who have supported Jeannie's outreach.
If you can commit to volunteering, please e-mail [email protected]. Mention your interests, skills, and availability. We always need volunteers to help maintain our restaurant lists, convert articles to HTML, do clerical work in the office, and staff our outreach booths around the country. We are also looking for individuals who want to promote vegetarianism via electronic media and members who want to get involved at a higher organizational level. For example, volunteers have taken responsibility for coordinating fundraising projects, developing strategic plans, performing legal research, and setting up the organization's social media presence. Together, with your help, we can continue to work for a more vegetarian world.
