Bay Area Vegetarians

Veg Info for LGBT Pride

We had an amazing & awesome first day at the BAVeg SF LGBT Pride booth!!  A huge number of folks interested in veg*nism came by for their Free Veg Starter Kit, and sampled delicious coconut milk ice cream samples and meatless jerky.

I’m really looking forward to Day 2, Sunday.  We’ll again have the BAVeg booth (we’re on Larkin in front of the Asian Art Museum), and will also be doing some leafleting to the crowd who are standing around and waiting for the Parade to start ( for those watching the parade, look for the EBAA veg contingent!)

For now, I’ve uploaded a few of the photos that I took of our booth, and there will be more to come that the other volunteers have taken.

http://www.bayareaveg.org/gallery2/v/pride10/

Our entirely all-volunteer crew made this day possible.   I am privileged to have collaborated with such a dedicated group of fellow veg*ns on our outreach booth.

Michelle & Dan

Let’s give them all a virtual big hand of applause:
– Michelle, Dan, George and myself did the setup
– Heidi and Donna staffed the veg booth
– Heidi was also busy taking photographs, and Donna made the most amazing vegan goodies for the booth volunteers
– Michelle and Dan gave out information & stickers galore
– Mila and Mike organized the hugely popular ice cream samples (dry ice is amazing)
– Chris designed the new banners that had people walking over to the booth asking for their Free Veg Starter Kit

We also owe thanks to:
– Turtle Mountain and Primal Spirit Foods for So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream Sandwiches and Primal Strips donations, respectively, distributed to booth visitors
– PCRM, PETA and Vegan Outreach generously donated literature
– Individuals who donated in response to our plea, which so far partially cover our expenses for Pride

BAVeg will be back at SF LGBT Pride all day Sunday .  Our info booth is on Larkin, right in front of the Asian Art Museum  Come by and say hello, and grab some literature for you or a friend 🙂

– Tammy

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Ask Me About Meat

We started in 2003, and had a booth annually until 2008 when we did leafleting only. In 2009, the booth returned, as well as an entry in the Parade. 2010 is our 8th year of outreach at SF LGBT Pride, with a booth on both days as well as pre-parade leafleting on Sunday.

Our history of outreach at Pride is represented in these photo galleries.

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

SF LGBT PRIDE 2010
San Francisco Civic Center
Recommend BART or Muni (Civic Center Station)

Please visit our booth and say hello, and grab some literature for a non-veg friend!

Bay Area Vegetarians booth location – J13
In front of Asian Art Museum on Larkin

We are still in need of donations to cover the cost of our chicken display and other Pride expenses – please help if you can. (more info)

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Bay Area Vegetarians is returning to the 2010 SF Pride Celebration — this will be our 8th consecutive year with outreach at San Francisco PRIDE!

Once again, BAVeg will have an information booth in front of the Asian Art Museum, giving out thousands of pieces of literature promoting a more compassionate and cruelty-free lifestyle:  veganism!  We will also be leafleting during the Festival.  [ Volunteer Sign-Up ]

Nora has been part of our outreach at Pride since the first year in 2003. She recounted one of her experiences about Pride leafleting:

One older man stopped after taking my brochure, looked at it for maybe 15 seconds, and said, “Wow. Thanks for ruining my day!” I started to reply, saying, “I’m sorry to ruin your day–I know this is upsetting–but thanks for caring so much about animals that it ruined your day to know how they are suffering.”

He said, “Actually, though it does kind of ruin my day to see this, I was being serious in thanking you. We need people like you out doing the dirty work of making people aware of this issue. Thank you for being here.”

This is what we are providing when we leaflet. Aren’t you glad you know about how the animals are treated so that you can choose to do something about it? Give others that opportunity to make a difference, as well! And give the animals an opportunity for people to consider their plight.

Please use this sign-up form if you’re interested in helping to make a more veg*n world by:

– staffing the BAVeg booth [ Saturday 10 am-7pm, Sunday 10 am-6 pm ]
– leafleting outside the booth [same time as above]
– leafleting the parade crowd before the parade starts [ Sun 9 am – 10:15 am]
– behind the scenes help [ booth set-up, or cart wrangler on Sunday AM]

While previous outreach experience is helpful, it’s not necessary. We just ask that you’re a friendly person, already vegan, or vegetarian transitioning towards vegan, who can reliably show up at the event. If you have questions, you’re welcome to email us directly or post a comment in the blog.

While financial donations to support the cost of outreach at Pride are gratefully accepted, as a small, grassroots all-volunteer organization, we depend even more on your volunteer support of your time and compassion to make our outreach at Pride successful this year.   Last year, as in previous years, we were the only veg group distributing information at this progressive two-day event. Please sign up to help today to spread the veg message. Donations are welcome via check to Bay Area Vegetarians, P.O. Box 371215, Montara, CA 94037-1215.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our efforts in the past, and to everyone who will help us this year.  Thank you to East Bay Animal Advocates for sponsoring/organizing the marching contingent in the Pride Parade this year.  So be sure to mark your calendars for that weekend, and reserve your spot today!

Where: San Francisco Civic Center
When: Sat Jun 26th – Sun Jun 27th
What: Making a difference – Making new Veg*ns!

Volunteer Sign-Up

The Pride parade is today, Sunday, 28th, starting at 10 am.  It will be broadcast on KRON 4, Comcast Digital Channel 99, Clear Channel Radio on  SFPrideLive.com Live & Uncensored from 10:00 a.m, KOFY TV 20/Cable 13, starting at 8:00 p.m and  Comcast Channel 1 On Demand/Local Events starting June 29th at 7:00 p.m. until July 31st

Look for the rainbow contingent – that’ll be us!!

Bay Area Vegetarians is a local group that gives free vegetarian info, support and recipes from Sacramento to Santa Rosa to Santa Cruz! We have volunteers wearing lettuce bikinis to show off their healthy veggie bodies. We have nurses handing out “prescriptions” to Go Veg to avoid heart disease and obesity. We have animals to represent all the animals who don’t want to end up in a slaughterhouse.

One member, Alex Bury, wearing nothing but cabbage and lettuce leaves, used to be a professional chef. She cooked and ate meat every day. But now she’s a proud member of Bay Area Vegetarians and PETA, and only cooks vegan food! Parade marcher Jeff Hoffman did the same thing—he graduated from the California Culinary Academy, but now specializes in scrumptious veg food. His cupcakes are famous. Jeff’s vegetarian husband, Drew, is training for a marathon and having fun in a lettuce bikini today! Speaking of running, vegan Michelle just ran her first ultra marathon—12 hours—a month ago to raise funds for animals. She sure did recover quickly! Their professional coach and personal trainer, Darren Middlesworth, is vegan and representing his field in a some fine lettuce shorts. Member Kathy Buckley comes all the way from Iowa and Markush Madurai came from Calgary to march with the veggies in Pride!

Bay Area Vegetarians has had a booth here for years, but this is the first time we’ve been in the parade. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for many years. Today we are marching with members of many local groups, including East Bay Animal Advocates, PCRM, PETA, the LGBT community and local animal rescue specialists.

We’re proud to live in the Bay Area, where Pride is celebrated in such a big way. We’re proud vegetarians. Today we march to share our compassion and love for all: Love and Let Live.

If you want more of the free recipeswe’ll be handing out, just call 1-888-VEG-FOOD or visit GOVEG.com. Eating meat hurts animals, and veg foods are a yummy way to be compassionate and healthy! Happy Pride from Bay Area Vegetarians!

Two kids ask Julie about vegetarianism

Bay Area Vegetarians hosted an information table at the 2009 Maker Faire held at the San Mateo Expo Center on May 30th and May 31st.

We had hundreds of people visit our booth and gather vegan information, and ask questions about vegetarianism. It was fun to meet the BAVeg members who came by to say hi, including Ajay who helped us with leafleting. Elizabeth, Ajay, and Tammy distributed 750 Vegetarian Starter Kits via leafleting.

Thank you to

– PETA, PCRM, Farm Sanctuary, Vegan Outreach, and UPC for supporting our outreach by providing materials
– the volunteers who made this possible: Julie, Mila, Mike, Lissy and Ashley, and booth organizers Elizabeth and Tammy
– Maker Faire for inviting us to participate
– Everyone who accepted vegetarian information from us.  We hope this starts you on the path to compassionate and healthy living.

Maker Faire Photos in the BAVeg Gallery

Reading her new Vegetarian Starter Kit

Bay Area Vegetarians is returning to the 2009 Pride Celebration.  This will be our 7th year participating in PRIDE!

Pride weekend is June 27th and 28th.  We will have an information booth on both days, and will march in the parade on Sunday.  Our parade theme is “Love and Let Live”.  To volunteer for one or both activities, please use the links below.

Booth / Leafleting Veg outreach / Education – SF
Walk/Leaflet with us in the Pride Parade: Love and Let Live – SF

New volunteer opportunities! Please check ’em out here (added 6/15)

Meet Michelle:  Michelle is coordinating the volunteers for the outreach at the booth this year, and shared a bit about herself with us. 

For those who don’t know me, I’m a recent college graduate dedicated to spreading the message of compassionate eating.  In college I was president of the Case Animal Rights & Ethics Society and more recently I’ve been working on a new website, www.veganbreak.com, featuring short videos about veganism in an effort to make veganism more accessible to the general public. I’m eager to get involved in Bay Area veg outreach and can’t wait to meet all of you!

Saturday was the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco, and also the annual Bay Area Vegetarians Leafleting at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  🙂

BAVeg Leafleting Leprechauns

Our team of leafleting leprechauns hit the streets of SF, and handed out 1,500 Vegetarian Stater Kits in one hour!!

THANK YOU Alex, Ari, Lisa, Caroline, Michelle, Donna, Jordan and Tammy! BAVeg volunteers share some thoughts about this activity:

Alex enthused “Event leafleting is always fun, because the crowds are in a good mood. Twice I had people chasing after me to get a brochure! Love that! Leafleting is is so easy, and so effective.  I love thinking about all the people who learned about animal suffering today for the first time.  I wonder how many vegetarians we made?”

Parade attendee reads VSK

“This may have been the easiest leafleting I have ever done! Not a negative comment all morning, a few dozen people came up asking ME for guides (rather than the other way around) and at least 50% of people who I offered I guide to took it. Combine that with a great meal with some inspiring vegetarians, all committed to raising the consciousness of our society, and you’ve got a heck of a finish to my week!” exclaimed Ari.

Michelle adds “It was great fun, and such a happy vibrant crowd that seemed to really embrace the veg message!”

Reading her new VSK

Jordan shares his personal experience.  “I’ve been a vegetarian since 1967, and had little success in getting people to go veg. It came as a big surprise, there is an easy way to recruit new vegetarians. Just hand out leaflets. Some people who read the leaflet decide to eat less meat, some become vegetarians or vegans.

Leafleting is fun. Especially at special events, parades etc, because people let down their guard and are willing to talk to strangers. In a short time you can hand out a lot of leaflets.

Now I organize vegetarian leafleting at some Buddhist teachings I go to, asking Buddhists to go veg. Think about what events you go to that you can leaflet. It’s great to know that you have done something that makes a difference.”

Please watch the BAVeg calendar for the next San Francisco Have a Heart, Go Veg Leafleting activity.