1) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

We have a lot of great information in this month's newsletter to get you through the last stretch of winter. If you are local to Baltimore, the World Mac N' Cheese Championship is happening soon (see section 7 for more details) and Baltimore's Vegan Restaurant week takes place 2/9/18 through 2/18/18. Also be sure to check out VRG's blog posts on where to find Vegan Valentine's candy online for your significant other or friends and for some vegan soup ideas to help you stay warm!

Don't forget to spread the word about the VRG Scholarship Contest. One graduating High School senior will get $10,000 and there are also two $5,000 scholarships being offered. For more details on the VRG Scholarship Contest visit [ http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ] Every year, several VRG volunteers take time to read and reply to each essay submission. If you're interested in volunteering to read the 2018 essays and reply to the contestants, please reach out to Ginny at [email protected].

2) VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS

• Global vegan Bed and Breakfast establishments
• Weight loss - Vegan Style
• Paid internship in Baltimore with VRG
• Ethnic cuisines that naturally offer delicious vegan food
• VRG offers one $10,000 scholarship plus two $5,000 scholarships to graduating High school Seniors (Deadline Feb.20th)
• Aldi Rolled out new Vegan and Vegetarian product line
• Vegan Soup Recipes
• Vegetarian restaurant for sale
• Domino's Australia adds vegan pizza line
• Vegan Valentine's candy available online
• Affordable, cruelty-free anti-aging products
• Vegan Bakeries Around the U.S.
• and more!

3) VRG BOOTHS AND EVENTS

American University VegOut Station

Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018

North Florida VegFest

Tallahassee, FL
Saturday, March 17, 2018

(VRG will not have a booth, but is sending materials.)

Maryland Dietetics in Health Care Communities (MD-DHCC) Spring Conference

Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Clarksville, MD
Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Washington DC
October 21-23, 2018

Vegetarian Resource Group Vegan Dinner

Sunday, October 21, 2018
Washington, DC

Vegetarian Resource Group Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck

Baltimore MD
Sunday, November 18, 2018

To volunteer at VRG booths, please contact Ginny at [email protected] If you would like to donate towards our veggie outreach, donate at:
[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

Donations can also be sent to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203

Or call: (410) 366-8343

4) $20,000 IN VEGETARIAN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FEBRUARY 20, 2018 DEADLINE

The Vegetarian Resource Group awards $20,000 in college scholarships to high school seniors who have promoted vegetarianism. Deadline is February 20th of each year. For details, see
[ http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]

To support additional scholarships, donate at

[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

Indicate purpose of donation in the comments.

If you would like to sponsor an ongoing scholarship, contact Charles at [email protected]

5) FROM THE GROUND UP FILM

My name is Santino Panico and I am the producer, writer, and director of “From The Ground Up,” a feature documentary film about plant-based athletes. “From the Ground Up” is a film that offers a tangible solution to the average person confronting major world issues including animal ethics, health crises, and environmental degradation. This film is an independent project in its purest form and that spirit permeates throughout. I am proud of the finished project and believe it can impact far and wide. Below is the website so you can view the trailer.

[ https://www.fromthegroundupfilm.com/ ]

6) VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP VEGAN DINNER IN WASHINGTON, DC SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018 AT 6pm

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan dinner at BUSBOYS AND POETS in Washington, DC (About three blocks from the Convention Center) on Sunday, October 21, 2018 during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG advisors Reed Mangels PhD RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Debra Wasserman, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. All are welcome.

Menu

Appetizers:

• BBQ Vegan Chicken Bites
• Crispy Brussels Sprouts (Brussels sprouts with shallots, agave vinaigrette)
• Tabbouleh (Quinoa, parsley, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice)

Entrée:

• Beans and Wild Rice (black beans, fresh guacamole, pico de gallo)

Dessert:

• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Fountain Drinks and Iced Tea

To reserve: Send $35 per person (includes tax and tip) with names to

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203

Must reserve and pay in advance.

Call (410) 366-8343. Or pay at
[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ] and write DC Dietitian Dinner in the Comments.

name:
# Attending X $35/person =	$
names of attendees:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Email:
Phone:
Donation towards professional outreach:	$
Total enclosed:

7) THE WORLD VEGAN MAC 'N CHEESE CHAMPIONSHIP IS HAPPENING IN BALTIMORE FEB. 10, 2018

Championship will be February 10, 2018, 12 PM at the Radisson Hotel International Ballroom.

Thrive Baltimore's third-annual vegan mac 'n cheese competition is now the World Vegan Mac n' Cheese Championship! The original event of its kind will now feature not only local plant-based restaurants and previous winners, but also the winners of other spin-off mac 'n cheese competitions from abroad. Due to the scope and excitement of this event, it will now be held in the spacious Radisson Hotel International Ballroom, 101 W Fayette Street.

This event started with 1000 attendees in 2016 and by 2017 organizers were forced to cap registration at 2500 people. Because of the buzz already surrounding this year's event, the organizers of the World Vegan Mac 'n Cheese Championship expect to see attendance more than double in 2018.

Don't miss the excitement, Visit [ http://www.WorldVeganMac.com ] to register today! Pre-sale registration is available at a discount prior to the event and tickets will also be available at the door. A limited number of all-access VIP passes will be available for purchase as well. Family rates are available per request.

Thrive Baltimore's mission is to provide education, resources, and support to anyone interested in adopting a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

For more information contact:

Brenda Sanders
Founder: Thrive Baltimore, PEP Foods, Afro Vegan Society
(443) 863-8652
[email protected]

8) A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE VRG VOLUNTEERS

Thank you to the following VRG Volunteers for all of your hard work with The Vegetarian Resource Group, including reading scholarship entries, writing blog posts, editing, doing media interviews, performing nutrition analyses, doing HTML, helping with our newsletters, submitting conference abstracts, and more!

• Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
• Whitney Blomquist
• Shannon Borgoyn
• Casey Brown
• Heather Francis
• Suzanne Hengen
• Laneece Hurd
• Dane Indvik
• Teagan Kim
• Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
• Julia Mathew
• Laura McGuiness
• David Milner
• Marcia Schveibinz
• Elsa Spencer, PhD
• Robin Tate

To volunteer at VRG, please contact Ginny at [email protected]

9) VRG HIGHLIGHTS

• Elsa Spencer (PhD, Nutrition) represented The Vegetarian Resource Group in an outstanding radio interview for Radio One's WOLB, discussing veganism and answering callers' questions.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group helped a European start-up find information on co-packers who specialize in vegetarian products.
• VRG helped a Wellness Ambassador from American University find vegan Registered Dietitians to speak at a vegetarian/vegan campus event and connected a reporter from the Santa Monica Daily Press with another dietitian for an article tackling myths about veganism.
• VRG supported the SacTown VegFest this year in Sacramento as a Root-level Sponsor!

10) OTHER VEGETARIAN/ VEGAN EVENTS

Below are upcoming events occurring nationally and internationally. The VRG will not be at these events but we want to share them with you in case you live in or will be traveling to the area they are taking place and wish to attend:

World Vegan Mac 'n Cheese Championship

The Radisson Hotel International Ballroom
101 W Fayette St
Baltimore MD, 21201
Advanced tickets $15, $20 at Door, VIP $50, Family rates available per request
February 10, 2018, 12:00 - 5:00 PM

7^th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition

Drayson Center at Loma Linda University
25040 Stewart Street
Loma Linda, CA 92354
February 26-28, 2018

Valley Vegfest 2018

JFK Middle School in Northampton
100 Bridge Rd
Florence, MA 01062
Saturday, April 7^th, from 10:00 to 4:00

Hilton Head Health Plant Based Lifestyle Lectures (2018)

Hitlon Head Health will offer 4 weeks (one each quarter) that are dedicated to plant-based lifestyle with lectures, cooking demos and excursions that are designed specifically for vegan travelers.

Hilton Head Health is located near the beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

11) VRG WISH LIST

As a non-profit, we can only take on new projects when we are able to get support from donors and our dedicated volunteers. Right now, we are seeking support for the following:

• Volunteers to help with reading scholarship applications (needed during Feb-Apr).Contact Ginny at [email protected]
• Vegetarian Resource Group Outreach Booth at American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, attended by 10,000 health professionals. We're able to educate and put materials into the hands of 1,000 registered dietitians and other health professionals. ($50 to give out copies of Vegetarian Journal and other resources to ten dietitians) ($4,000 to have a booth)
• Monthly recurring donations help us anticipate our resources for the year! Please consider becoming one of our regular donors here:
  [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

You can make a one time, quarterly, monthly, or an annual donation. To make a donation, call (410)-366- 8343 M-F 9:00-5:00, mail a check to

The Vegetarian Resource Group
PO Box 1463
Baltimore MD, 21203

or visit [ http://www.vrg.org/donate. ]

Please be sure to let us know which project you would like your contribution to fund. Thank you for supporting The Vegetarian Resource Group!

12) KINDLY OBSERVE NOVEMBER 25 AS AN INTERNATIONAL MEATLESS DAY

For more information you can check out the SAK Associations Newsletter:
[ https://issuu.com/s.a.k.association/docs/newsletter_january_2018_issue ]

13) NEW ANIMAL ACTIVISM CHILDREN'S BOOK COMING SOON: THE JAGUAR'S STORY

The Jaguar's Story, by Kosa Ely, is an illustrated book about jaguars, their homeland, and why they are endangered. Woven in the narrative and captivating art is a mother's love for her cubs and her concern to protect them. This beautiful and compelling story inspires us to stop rain forest destruction and save the magnificent jaguar from extinction.

The campaign link:	[ http://www.TheJaguarsStory.org ]
On Facebook:	[ https://www.facebook.com/thejaguarsstory/ ]
On Instagram:	[ https://www.instagram.com/the.jaguars.story/ ]
On Twitter:	The.Jaguar's.Story

14) A WINNER OF THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP 2017 VIDEO CONTEST

Acsah is a winner of The Vegetarian Resource Group video contest. Acsah stated: Hello, my name is Acsah and I've been a vegetarian of almost 2 years now. My switch to vegetarianism came as a surprise for everyone around me because I grew up in a culture where meat is served at every party. Although that may throw people off, I think that vegetarianism does not exclude any group. Anyone can be a vegetarian, so long as they want to. I decided to switch over to a vegetarian diet because of my love for animals. As a child, I would always point out animal cruelty-in the circus, food, etc. Along with not wanting to support animal cruelty, I decided to become a vegetarian because of my health. Many diseases, like high blood pressure, runs in my family, so I want to prevent it while saving the animals. I don't see a difference between torturing a dog and torturing a chicken- they are both god's wonderful creation. Therefore, I want to look out for animals that "belong" to the meat industry in hopes that one day, I can make a difference. I hope that my video has shown a brief explanation to why I am a vegetarian. I enjoyed making it and I hope you enjoyed watching! Thank you for your time.

The deadline for the next video contest is July 15, 2018. See:
[ http://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php ]

For information about VRG's College Scholarship Contest, see:
[ http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group scholarships and internships, donate at:
[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

15) VRG ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow or Like The Vegetarian Resource Group on social media and stay up to date on what we're working on, events in your area, new vegan products and vegan restaurants:

Facebook	[ https://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup ]
Instagram	[ https://www.instagram.com/vegetarianresourcegroup/ ]
Twitter	[ https://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp ]

16) VEGAN EDITOR/DESIGN JOB

Vegan group seeks Senior Editor in Baltimore to edit and lay out 36-page Vegetarian Journal four times a year, plus periodic miscellaneous tasks, such as designing brochures, t-shirts, decals, etc. Averages about five to eight hours per week. Proficient in InDesign. Send writing sample, design sample, resume, and cover letter addressing vegan knowledge, short and long term goals, and magazine editing and layout experience. Reply to editor job at [email protected] $14/hour.

17) IT/COMPUTER JOB

VRG is looking for a part time person about ten hours per week in Baltimore to help maintain website and keep computer software/hardware up to date and running smoothly. Familiarity with networking and software/hardware support in a PC environment helpful. Problem solver and enjoy troubleshooting computer issues. Experience in HTML and CSS (cascade style sheets).

Helpful skills: Experience in coding HTML and CSS, fundamentals of structured Query language (SQL), fundamentals of TCP/IP networks, basics of MS windows Workstation configuration.

Desired skills: PHP and MySQL, javascript, Perl scripting, Wordpress, and added plus: Database design and administration

• Maintain website
• Maintenance such as maintaining backups
• Update email network
• Update database
• Work with volunteers.
• Send out email newsletters
• Update hardware as necessary

$15 per hour compensation.

Please send resume, and cover letter to Att. IT job at [email protected].

18) ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP & VRG NEWS

Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthful changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, bequests, and book sales. The Vegetarian Journal, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see the Vegetarian Journal online [ http://www.vrg.org/journal/ ] )

If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find out more about The VRG, contact us at:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
FAX: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected] or to volunteer: Ginny at [email protected] Website: [ http://www.vrg.org/ ]

VRG-NEWS is the e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group. This is an announcement list so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact us at [email protected]. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, please direct them to [email protected]. Thanks. If you are a new subscriber, you might enjoy reading past issues of VRG-NEWS online at
[ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]

The VRG is an educational non-profit group providing information on vegetarianism and veganism. To subscribe to VRG-NEWS, go to

[ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]

T

o unsubscribe, or otherwise manage your subscription to VRG-NEWS, go to

[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-news_lists.vrg.org ]

(Go to the bottom of the page where it says "unsubscribe" or "edit options". You do not need a password.)

Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2018 The contents of this newsletter, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.