Note from the Coordinators
40 Years of Activism
People have unlimited good ideas for what organizations should do. However, what actually happens is the result of volunteers, contributors, members, subscribers, and supporters who in various ways commit to and carry out action. Here is a sampling of those who helped The Vegetarian Resource Group complete so many projects over the last 40 years. As there isn't room to mention everybody, apologies to those not named. Know you have also made a difference.
Ruth Ransom Blackburn, RD, our first dietitian, showed that health professionals have an interest in veggie diets, when many in the movement didn't believe this.
Suzanne Babich, DrPH, MS, demonstrated that dietitians could work within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (American Dietetic Association) and other professional organizations.
Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, (whose VRG's Vegan in Volume has been given to over 11,000 food service personnel) gave a vegan cooking demo at the annual meeting of school foodservice staff, as well as at a American Dietetic Association conference. Back then she was ahead of her time in training chefs about vegan diets.
Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, enabled VRG to carry out most of our projects.
Brad Scott and Nurse Bobbi (Pasternak) were pioneers in veggie internet outreach.
Sandy Weinstein did a tofu cooking demo on People Are Talking (Oprah Winfrey was a co-host at one time) way before plant-based diets were widely known.
Long-term staff: Ziona Swigart; Sonja Helman; Jeannie McStay; Davida Breier; Jessica Dadds; Keryl Cryer; Samantha Gendler; John Cunningham; Alan Polster; Jeanne Yacoubou, MS; Rissa Miller; Jason Goretzki; and many more.
Early volunteers enabled the group to exist: Sherman Pratt; Michael Blum; Cynthia Blum; Barbara Lovitts; Arnie Alper, MD; Ernie Kopstein MD; Karen Lazarus MD; Jerry Marcus MD; John Shoemaker; Jeannie Freeman; Jerry Schaum; Carole Hamlin; Anadi Naik; Fannie Fonseca Becker DrPH, MPH, RD; and Julie Covington, EdD, MPH, RD. Volunteers Heather Gorn; Whitney McVerry; Mark Rifkin MS, RD; Mary Clifford RD; Soren Clarkwest; Suzanne Hengen; Lucia Rivera; Elsa Spencer PhD; Phil Becker; Eric Sharer MPH, RD; Casey Brown, RD; Wayne Smeltz; Annabelle Simpson; Stuart Stahler; Simon Brown, PhD; Jim Dunn; Laura McGuiness; Tamir Ben Todras; Cathy Conway, RD; David Herring, MS; David Milner; Matthew Baker, RN; and Marcy Schveibinz.
Thank you to Dick Stafursky (vegetarian biologist and Vegetarian Society of DC) for his inspiration and being ahead of his time, Vonnie Crist and Janet Steinberg (illustrations), and Linda Long (photography).
upporters of our internships and scholarships, readers of scholarships submissions, proofreaders, and those who help with VRG's restaurant guide and booths. And many, many more working for a better world yesterday, today, and tomorrow. To volunteer as we go into the next 40 years, email [email protected]
Debra Wasserman & Charles Stahler
Coordinators of The Vegetarian Resource Group
