Feeding the Mind and Body:
Vegetarian Outreach in Libraries and Restaurants
Is there ever a bad time or place to talk about compassion? Not in
our opinion! But, as we all know, some situations are better than others.
COK's outreach team has its sights set on encouraging cruelty-free
cuisine as a direct, powerful way to help animals. What are two of
the most active campaigns the team coordinates? Outreach to libraries
and restaurants throughout the Washington, D.C.-metropolitan area,
bringing the animals' message into people's minds and stomachs!
Brain Food
Hundreds of thousands of people of all ages visit public libraries
each year to browse, research, read, and learn. As patrons are
immersed in stories, news, and ideas, why not enrich their minds
with thoughts of compassion for animals with a pro-animal display?
Nine D.C.-area libraries feature COK's display.
Eye-catching displays on the hows and whys of vegetarian eating
can be a simple and inexpensive—but highly effective—tool
to help animals. How do we know? Ours have been on display in nine
Washington, D.C.-area libraries for months at a time! Librarians
have been so pleased with the interest in our vegetarian displays
that some have set up nearby tables featuring vegetarian cookbooks
and nearly all have asked to keep the displays longer than the
one-month contract!
Satisfying Our Animal-Friendly Appetites
COK's restaurant display is in more than 40 D.C.-area eateries.
Each year, nearly 54 billion meals are eaten in restaurants, reports
the National Restaurant Association. By working with establishments
to add a greater number of diverse vegetarian choices to their menus,
we can have a lasting influence on the public. The more accessible
and appetizing vegetarian options become, the more likely people
are to consider adopting a compassionate diet. At the same time,
seeing animal-friendly appetizers, entrées, and desserts
listed on menus at our favorite restaurants further impresses upon
those dining out that vegetarian eating is becoming
mainstream.
COK's restaurant outreach campaign focuses on a single
goal: making vegetarian eating as easy as possible by encouraging
restaurants to provide even more vegetarian options and to
actively promote their animal-friendly fare.
In just five months, COK's outreach team met with scores of restaurant owners,
encouraging them to advertise—and expand!—their
vegetarian options. How did we fare? As of September 2003:
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More than 125 D.C.-area establishments now have our "Proud
to Serve Vegetarian & Vegan Meals" decals in their
front windows.
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More than 40 restaurants stock our Vegetarian Eating brochures
and ads for COK’s Vegetarian Starter Guide.
-
More than 40 new establishments were added to COK's
VegDC.com and the fourth
edition of our Vegetarian Guide to Washington, D.C.
and Surrounding Areas directory of restaurants,
groceries, caterers, and even bakeries.
Every day, an estimated 19,000 people around the world become vegetarian.
"Vegging Out," The Globe and Mail, May 24, 2003
More than 125 D.C.-area restaurants display COK's window decal.
"There was a time when waiters rolled their eyes at
people who asked for vegetarian options, but now we purposely
cater to those who are vegetarians for whatever reason. We
want every menu to have vegetarian options on it. Vegetarianism
is here to stay."
—Rhys Lewis, executive chef, "Seeing
Green," Restaurant USA, June 2002
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