Dear FVA members, friends & readers, again we share with you our FVA meet-up events! We now have 4631 signed up as ‘interested’ in our group & activities. As you can see, we continue to have a variety of opportunities for you to become involved. WHERE ARE YOU? Please join our Meet-Up, please sign up for events that interest you, then PLEASE attend the events and help the animals! (If for some reason you find that you are unable to attend, please be kind enough to change your RSVP. This will help us to better know what attendance to expect at our events and plan appropriately.)
FVA in the Community /Tablings:
3/11/23, Susannah Sherman, Spencer, Ted Ellquist & Laura Weiss tabled for FVA all day in St. Pete for the Community Festival. The event was successful! MANY interested people took brochures!
4/1 – Little Cats Rescue Volunteer Work Day – Suzanne House, Diane Koon, Trevor & Ann Chin, Chris Lichfoldt, Ted Ellquist, Laura Pennington, Ron Gray, Deb Delsole
4/1, 5/6, 6/3 – NEW activity - KARAOKE at Loving Hut in Tampa! With an ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET This is NOW a MONTHLY event - the first Saturday of the month. Share lots of fun with USF's student organization SPEAK (Students Protecting the Environment and Animals thru Knowledge) and support Loving Hut. COME next month and SING YOUR HEART OUT, STUFF YOUR FACE, AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY & STUDENTS!!! Thanks to Brittany Livingston for organizing this fun event!
4/5/23 - New College of Florida in Bradenton, FVA table by Laura Weiss and Susie Chin. Students and Staff appreciated us being there. At least 75 brochures were taken! Students were receptive and progressive at this school! We have been invited back!
4/6, 5/4, 6/1 - Vegan Support Groups, Open Forums, held virtually via Zoom. Join great discussions with some regular attendees and new ones each time. No pressure to chat but we always like everyone to introduce themselves. Join our hosts Kim Gronemeyer, Psy.D., Myriam Parham, RD, CDCES, and Cathy Unruh, Journalist, Author and Animal Advocate.
4/19/23, State College of Florida in Bradenton, FVA table by Laura Weiss and Holly Barbour. Many students were very interested in being vegan for all reasons. At least 60-75 brochures were taken! “We were welcomed to return again next year and we are looking forward to doing this!” -quote from Laura.
4/22 - EcoFest 2023 at MOSI, FVA tabled. Thanks to Trevor and Ann Chin, Chris Lichtfoldt, Tom Bird, Laura Pennington, Florence Marsan, Susannah and Spencer Sherman, and Myriam Parham for tabling.
5/21 – VeganFest Sarasota, Nathan Benderson Park – by Triangle Veg Fest/Veg Fest Expos. Laura Weiss, Susannah Sherman, Spencer Sherman, Marcielly Nascimento, and Myriam Parham, who also spoke about Diabetes and the Vegan Diet. It rained quite hard twice during the day, but attendance was still amazing at this beautiful waterfront venue.
4/29, 5/27, and 7/1- TBVF Volunteer and Committees Meetings at Cider Press in St. Petersburg, Vine Vegan in Brandon, and Florish plant-based pizza & bowls in Tampa
6/10 – Al Lopez Park Cleanup - Tom Bird, Suzanne House, Laura Pennington, Ron Grey, Diane Koon, Marie Galbraith, Teegs, Courtnay Glatter and Myriam Parham. THANKS to all!!
Al Lopez Park Year-Round Feral Cats feeding, trapping for medical care and/or sterilizations. Coordinated by Tom Bird, volunteers take turns once a week making sure the cats are fed. Thanks to Tom, Suzanne House, Ron Gray, Laura Pennington, Leslie Pandolfo, Amy Anderson, Gustavo Delavilla and Kenny Echezabal for doing this 365 days a year. Total dedication!
6/17 -Solid Rock Community School Market, Chris Lichtfoldt , Suzanne House, Susannah Sherman, and Myriam Parham tabled for FVA. We had a bit of rain, but it did not deter the participants.
Media & Other Activities:
4/10 - Faunalytics zoom training session attended by FVA Board and members. FREE Educational Resources on various animal rights issues available to us were explored.
4/11 – FVA joins the FREE zoom presentation by Dr Milton Mills, "Got Racism? Sickening! How the Government, USDA & Big Business are punishing us."
4/16 – Florida legislative meeting led out by Melissa Zepeda, Attorney, Activist, Lobbyist and FVA Advisory board member. This most informative session was attended by some board members and others including Kim Gronemeyer, Susannah Sherman, Jacinda Shapiro, Ted Elliquist, Nina Perino, Lisa Bilirakis, Diane Koon, Suzanne House, Dani Hall, Myriam Parham, and Laura Pennington.
4/27 - Censorship in a Silent Era: How Ag-Gag Laws Seek to Hide the Ethical and Environmental Impacts of Factory Farming, FVA Board and members attended the interactive presentation at the University of Tampa. UT professor, staff and students led out in this very informative session.
4/29 – Pinellas County Commissioners Hearing, Renee Rivard led team of speakers to ask for a ban of the retail sales of rabbits like the ones passed in Pasco and Hillsborough counties. So far, our work is cut on with this county. More hearings to come, PLEASE help us by sending emails, zooming in or attending to speak!
FVA sends donations to local shelters - Sanctuary Monthly Donations:
April - Big Dog Rescue - $200
May – Laughing Pig Sanctuary - $200
June - Muscovy Sanctuary of Florida - $200
FVA Demos for the Animals:
4/29 – Go Vegan! Demo - at St. Pete Saturday Morning Market organized by Hussein Mourtada
5/6 - Whole Foods for Forced Monkey Labor Protest - FVA members joined Animal Rights Foundation of Florida and PETA to protest the sales of Thai coconut milk that is obtained by abused monkeys. PETA Asia has now conducted three investigations into Thailand's coconut industry and every time they found monkeys living on chains, being forced to pick coconuts, and unable to do anything that's natural and important to them.
6/24 - FVA Puppy Mill Demo, at Sunshine Puppies, Clearwater, organized by Trevor Chin. Well attended, great support from those who drove by. THANKS to ALL who attended. See pictures.
PLEASE support vegan restaurants in your area. If you can’t dine in, order take out!!! Please check our FVA calendar to join us at these events so we can get to know each other. We hope to see you soon!
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