1) EDITOR'S NOTE
Welcome 2019! I haven't had much time to write an editor's note lately because I recently had twin daughters and raising little vegan babes has been my top priority! During my pregnancy with them, VRG's resources were invaluable to ensuring I had a safe, healthy pregnancy. Are you expecting? Check out VRG's pregnancy resources here:
[ https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/veganpregnancy.php ]
[ https://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=81 ]
Cheers to more editor notes in 2019 and a happy New Year to everyone!
If you'd like to share information on an upcoming event, new product, activism, or other news in the vegan community, send it to us at
[email protected] to be featured in VRG-News.
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3) VRG HIGHLIGHTS
- In response to inquiries, Jeanne Yacobou did some follow-up research on Xanthan gum and other ingredients.
- We assisted a member working on getting vegan meals offered at a local hot meal program serving the hungry and formerly homeless.
- We sent about 400 Vegetarian Journal magazines, 80 bumper stickers, and several books to various vegan events and fundraisers across the country.
- We'd also like to give a special thank you to Karen Peissinger, who coordinated a VRG booth at the Buffalo Vegan Pop-Up Market. Pamphlets regarding pregnancy/childhood and teenage vegan nutrition were very popular, as were the coloring books and Vegan in a Nutshell printouts. At the end of the market, the remaining coloring books, and a handful of various print-outs and pamphlets were given to the Vegan Grocery Store. One
of the owners expressed great appreciation for these resources as they educate customers who are curious about or starting their vegan journey. People appreciated the fact that VRG publishes information that is based on scientific research and that is reviewed or written by registered dietitians/nutritionists.
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4) VRG BOOTHS AND EVENTS
Come visit us at these VRG booths!
Jewish Vegan Cooking Demo: Vegan Hamentashen and Passover Ideas
Saturday, March 23rd, 7 PM
Beit Tikvah, Corner Community Center
Roland Park, Baltimore, Maryland
San Diego, California Area Restaurant Gathering
January 26th , 2019, Noon
Flower Child Restaurant
San Diego, CA
Meet health educator Marcy Schveibinz
Email Marcy ahead of time to confirm at [email protected]
Maryland Dietetics in Health Care Communities Spring Workshop
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Clarksville, MD
The Gathering Place
Vegan SoulFest
Saturday, August 3rd, 2019
Baltimore, MD
Clifton Park
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics FNCE
Sunday to Tuesday, October 27-29, 2019
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, PA
If you're interested in helping us at one of our booths, contact Gene Slothour-Hudnall 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
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5) OTHER UPCOMING 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:
Sedona Health & Nutrition Conference
January 17 & 18, 2019
Sedona, AZ
Sedona VegFest
January 19 & 20, 2019
Sedona, AZ
Santa Cruz VegFest
Saturday, April 6th, 2019
Cocoanut Grove at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz, CA
Alabama Vegan Fest
Sunday, April 14th, 2019
Birmingham, AL
Des Moines VeganFest
Saturday, April 27th, 2019
The Atrium at Capital Square
Des Moines, IA
Plant-Based Prevention of Disease
Saturday - Monday, May 18th - 20th, 2019
McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State University
Raleigh, NC
Plant Based World Conference & Expo
Announced for June 2019
Javits Convention Center in NYC
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6) SURVEY REGARDING PEOPLE'S KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CERTAIN FARMING PRACTICES
Academic looking for survey participants. The purpose of this questionnaire is to explore people's knowledge about certain farming practices.
Go to:
[ https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5Z8TC99 ]
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7) VEGAN LONDON
Vegan London is a guide to the capital's cafes, restaurants, and food stores. See:
[ https://www.quartoknows.com/books/9780711240117/Vegan-London.html ]
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8) FDA ASKS FOR INPUT ON USE OF THE NAMES OF DAIRY FOODS IN LABELING PLANT-BASED PRODUCTS - DEADLINE TO COMMENT EXTENDED BY 60 DAYS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is soliciting public input to answer the following questions:
- How do you use plant-based products?
- What is your understanding of dairy terms like milk, yogurt and cheese when they are used to label plant-based products?
- Do you understand the nutritional characteristics of plant-based products? Do you know how they're different from each other? Do you know how their nutritional qualities compare with dairy products?
Over the next year, the FDA will be looking at next steps, which will include issuing guidance for industry. This would clarify FDA's thinking regarding the labeling of plant-based products with names that include the names of dairy foods while giving manufacturers adequate notice about any changes.
To submit electronic comments, go to:
[ https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2018-N-3522-4873 ]
And click on Comment Now.
For more information, see
[ https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2018-N-3522-0001 ]
The original comment deadline of 11/27/18 has been extended by 60 days. The current deadline is Jan 28 2019, at 11:59 PM ET.
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9) THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP OFFERS TWO $5,000 SCHOLARSHIPS PLUS ONE $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS - FEBRUARY 20, 2019 DEADLINE
Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.
One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in SPRING 2019.
Deadline is FEBRUARY 20, 2019.
We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2019. Early submission is encouraged.
Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student's college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail. For more information on applying, visit: [ https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]
If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
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10) VRG 2018 VEGETARIAN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER NATALIA GOSIACO
The Vegetarian Resource Group 2018 college scholarship winner Natalia Gosiaco reports that her first semester was great. "I have been meeting so many new people involved within the vegan community, and San Diego State has given me so many opportunities to further pursue my passions. I joined the Voice for Veg animal rights club a few weeks into school, as soon as I found out about it. I attend the meetings once a week, along with events that we do. Such events include outreaches, educational seminars, supporting campaigns, and making merchandise, all to promote animal rights and veganism. I also got the opportunity to do a ten minute speech in my communications class this semester, and I chose to address why I do not drink cow's milk, and why no one ever should. The speech went very well and I got a lot of positive feedback and questions. Many people told me they weren't about to drink milk after listening to what I had to say."
"This semester, I also reached out to the head of Sodexo at my old high school to check in with the vegan options being made available for students. She and I talked for awhile, and she assured me that she is continuing to provide vegan options everyday. She also told me that the vegan options are often a hit and sell out before the other dish! I told her that I am grateful for her persistence to incorporate meals that accommodate for everyone, and that I am always just a phone call or email away. I continue to email her ideas I have of easy vegan meal options, or grab and go snacks.
"I am continuing to work at the Lovin Oven, a 100% vegan pizza restaurant. Working as a server gives me a great platform to talk to customers about veganism and why I am vegan. It helps that they're eating delicious vegan food too!"
For information about Natalia's activism, see:
[ https://www.vrg.org/blog/2018/05/10/hawaiian-student-receives-10000-vegetarian-resource-group-college-scholarship/ ]
The deadline for high school seniors for $20,000 in scholarships from The Vegetarian Resource Group is February 20, 2019. See:
[ https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]
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11) VEGAN OPTIONS ALWAYS FOR JEWISH INSTITUTIONS
Jewish Veg is proud to announce the launch of Vegan Option Always, a program that supplies synagogues, Hillels, and other Jewish institutions with extensive free resources to provide vegan options whenever they are serving food. See:
[ https://www.jewishveg.org/vegan-option-always-sample ]
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13) SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AREA RESTAURANT GATHERING: SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019. 12 NOON
Dear San Diego area VRG members:
Hi my name is Marcy Schveibinz and I am a VRG member and volunteer in the Baltimore area. I will be in the San Diego area in January and would like to arrange a casual gathering of VRG members for lunch. The purpose is to connect with each other and share our vegan volunteer experiences as well as exchange ideas about the various ways in which we are each living a vegan lifestyle.
We will meet at Flower Child, a restaurant with vegan options at 2690 Via de la Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014 on January 26, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. I have made a reservation for 15, and depending how many can come we will either have it catered or order off the menu. Expect the meal to be $15 to $30.
Please RSVP via email to [ [email protected] ], by January 18th so I know whether or not to expect you. If you plan to come please let me know if you have any food allergies.
I hope you can come and I am really looking forward to meeting you!
Marcy
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14) JEWISH VEGAN COOKING DEMO IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Saturday, March 23, 2019, at 7pm , Congregation Beit Tikvah
Corner Community Center, Roland Park
5802 Roland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21210
Learn to prepare vegan hamentashen and a variety of fillings.
Marcia will also give ideas for vegan Passover dishes. Each attendee will receive a copy of Vegan Passover Recipes by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD. Free for Beit Tikvah, Vegetarian Resource Group, Baltimore Vegan Drinks, and Jewish Veg members. $5 donation suggested for others. Please let us know if you are coming at [ https://www.facebook.com/events/347058466085887/ ]
Or email [email protected]
Marcy Schveibinz became interested in food and nutrition when growing up in Buffalo, NY with her Dad who became a "health nut", and started eating "whole wheat bagels" which weren't easy to get in the '70s! Marcy has a degree in nutrition from Buffalo State College. She is a national board certified health and wellness coach and did her training through the Mayo clinic. She has two vegan children.
Vegetarianism is not eating meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who also don't eat dairy, eggs, or other animal products.
For more information on the Jewish vegan cooking demo, call (410) 366-8343.
For more information on Beit Tivah, visit: [ https://beittikvah.org/ ]
For more information on vegan nutrition, see: [ https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan ]
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15) A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE VRG VOLUNTEERS
Thanks to the following VRG volunteers for all your hard work with The Vegetarian Resource Group, including, posting to social media, writing blog posts, research, presentations, restaurant research, clerical work, writing HTML, contributing to our vegan parents group, doing media interviews, staffing booths, editing, performing nutrition analysis, helping with our newsletters, and more!
- Matthew Baker, RN
- Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD RD
- Whitney Blomquist
- Anne Custer
- Natalie Evans
- Kalie Ganem
- Teagan Kim
- Reed Mangels, Ph.D, RD
- Julia Mathew
- Laura McGuiness
- David Milner
- Karen Peissinger
- Mark Rifkin MS, RD
- Marcia Schveibinz
- Brad Scott
Call for Volunteers:
We're still looking for volunteers who can assist us with updating our lists of vegetarian and vegan restaurants. New restaurants seem to be opening every day! This work can be done remotely
We're also looking for volunteers who can read and help respond to scholarship entries. This work can be done remotely. If you're interested in helping, we can send you more details about the process.
To volunteer at VRG, please contact Gene at [email protected]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group's outreach, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
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16) VEGAN FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES ITS GRAND DEBUT IN LOS ANGELES
Fashion meets activism in four-day experiential tribute to animals
Los Angeles, California (January 3, 2018) - Vegan Fashion Week, a historic event dedicated to elevating ethical fashion globally, will be making its grand debut in Los Angeles beginning February 1, 2019. Produced and curated by French creative director and animal rights advocate, Emmanuelle Rienda, Vegan Fashion Week will be a tribute to the animals and an ode to the end of animal exploitation in all forms.
This four-day event will launch with an exclusive opening soirée and tribute at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, bringing fashion and activism together with a deeply conscious twist. In conjunction with the Los Angeles Night of Ideas, the Museum of Natural History will activate its galleries, diorama halls, theater and public spaces throughout the museum. Highlights of the event will include a talk by climate scientist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Robert Lempert, a vegan fashion runway showcasing vegan designers, a vegan capsule of high-end designer pieces, and a timeline displaying the evolution of vegan fashion and the brands committed to embracing cruelty-free practices. This year's theme will be "Facing Our Time" and will explore the challenges faced around ecological and climate change through the lenses of science, nature, and art.
I want to ignite conversations and debates within the industry by educating, elevating and drawing connections between our most important values; our respect for human life, animal rights, and the environment," says Vegan Fashion Week creator Emmanuelle Rienda.
Following the night of the launch, guests will have the opportunity to travel to the LA Fashion District between February 2 - February 3 to experience a vegan world at the California Market Center, with a curated selection of animal-free designer pieces and a vegan lounge offering cruelty-free fashion, beauty, and culinary vegan innovations sourced globally from various countries. Brands, organizations, and attendees will have the opportunity to connect with conscious and like-minded individuals through activations, experiential exhibitions, and a conference featuring intellectual panels discussing the most critical issues in the fashion industry and the existing alternatives. Themes that will be explored include animal rights, social justice, circularity, technology and intersectionality.
To learn more about Vegan Fashion Week and to purchase tickets, visit: [ http://www.veganfashionweek.org ]
About Vegan Fashion Week
Vegan Fashion Week is dedicated to elevating ethical fashion globally. This four-day event is designed to empower conscious brands and humans with an elevated platform for achievement, inspiration, and discovery. A tribute to the animals and an ode to the end of animal exploitation in all forms, Vegan Fashion Week is produced and curated by French creative director and animal rights advocate, Emmanuelle Rienda and merges fashion and activism with a deeply conscious twist.
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17) 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.
After hundreds of volunteers, interns, and visitors, we could use a new rug in our office, if anyone would like to sponsor this, a donation will be appreciated by many activist feet.
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18) VEG DINING DISCOUNT CARDS
VegDining Card offers discounts at dozens of vegetarian restaurants and other businesses around the world.
See: [ http://vegdining.com/Go.cfm?id=VegDiningCard-Ordering-VRG ]
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19) NO SWIPING REQUIRED: VEGETARIANS FIND LOVE AT VALENTINE EVENTS COAST TO COAST
The weeks leading up to Valentine's, February 6-13, Veg Speed Date events will be taking place in 20 cities across Canada and the United States. Learn more at:
[ http://FindVegLove.com ]
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20) FOLLOW THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP SOCIAL MEDIA
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21) 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: Gene at [email protected]
Website: [ https://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/ ]
To 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 2019 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.
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