So Lucky to be in Kalamazoo!

We Kalamazoo residents are lucky in so many ways—we get to live in a great town with great culture, sports, and other amenities, in a great part of the country.

tuttleWe’re also lucky to have a great pool of local vegan knowledge and talent, of the kind you usually only find in big cities. Last year we enjoyed top-notch speakers on veganism and religion, veganism and social justice, and animal law, among other topics.

And now we’ve got an internationally recognized vegan celebrity coming to town! He’s Dr. Will Tuttle, author of the bestselling World Peace Diet. He’s speaking on Healing Our World: A Deeper Look at Food at WMU’s Wesley Center at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 20. More info here. Please come to this FREE lecture, and invite your friends.

We’re also thrilled to announce, in partnership with the wonderful People’s Food Co-Op, two new cooking classes: Cooking with Vegan Proteins (Tuesday 9/13, 6-8 pm) and Cooking for Diabetes I (Tuesday 9/27, 6-8 pm). Only 12 students per class! So register ASAP either in person at the Co-Op or by calling 269-342-5686.

Busy cooks, reluctant cooks, and non-cooks: Vegan Kalamazoo’s got your back! On Sunday, 9/10, at 2:00 p.m., join us for a discussion of Ten Easy and Delicious Ways to Add More Plants to Your Diet at the wonderful (and highly vegan-friendly) Natural Health Center. More info.

Attention literature lovers! On Wednesday 9/28 at 7:00 p.m., we’re inaugurating the Animals and Nature Discussion Group at the Kalamazoo Public Library. September’s topic is “Animal Memoir,” and the recommended reading is Helen MacDonald’s bestselling H is for Hawk, but we’ll also be discussing James “All Creatures Great and Small” Herriot, John “Marley & Me” Grogan, and others. So bring your fave and join us!

You’ll find the entire list of upcoming events, including our ever-popular Living Vegan Social Groups, here; and we recommend you join our Meetup group (easy and free!) to register for events, stay on top of changes, etc. (We are no longer posting events on our Facebook group, but are having some great conversations there, so please join us there, too!)

Finally, don’t forget that this year’s Grand Rapids VegFest, our region’s premier vegan event, is Sunday, September 18. We have carpools!

Please remember that:

*Everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores, is always welcome at our events!

*Most events are free except for cost of restaurant food, movies, etc. (We do ask for an optional $2/person donation to help defray group expenses.)

*We always welcome your questions or suggestions. Email me at vegankalamazoo@gmail.com.

One final announcement: Molly Wieber of the exchange program FLAG is seeking a local host family for Ruchi, a high school student (and winner of a prestigious, merit-based State Department Scholarship) who doesn’t eat meat or eggs. I know from personal experience that hosting an international student is a wonderful experience for all concerned! If you can host Ruchi or know someone who can, please contact Molly at mwieber@flag-intl.org.

See you at the events!

Tues, Sept 20 @ 7:00 pm: Bestselling Vegan Author Will Tuttle Speaking at WMU!

tuttleVegan Kalamazoo is thrilled to announce that on Tuesday, September 20, Kalamazoo will be hosting a true vegan visionary and celebrity, Dr. Will Tuttle. Author of the bestselling The World Peace Diet, Dr. Tuttle will be lecturing on Healing Our World: A Deeper Look at Food at The Wesley Foundation Student Center at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

In his talk, Dr. Tuttle makes explicit the invisible connections between society’s routine abuse of animals and our broad range of problems—psychological and social, as well as health and environmental. He will explore how animal agriculture and our food choices have far greater consequences than most of us realize, especially for social justice.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm, with free refreshments available. The lecture will begin at 7:00 pm., and will be followed by a Q&A. This event is free, but an optional “love donation” will be requested during the Q&A portion of the event. Dr. Tuttle will also be selling copies of The World Peace Diet and his latest book, Circles of Compassion, for $20 (cash / check / credit card accepted).

Venue: Wesley Foundation (WMU Campus) 820 Rankin Ave., Kalamazoo, MI

RSVP requested in advance on our Meetup page. As always, at Vegan Kalamazoo events, everyone is welcome, including vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Will Tuttle, visionary educator and inspirational speaker and musician, has lectured and performed widely throughout North America and worldwide. His doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkeley, focused on educating intuition and altruism, and he has taught college courses in creativity, mythology, religion, and philosophy. A recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and the Empty Cages Prize, he is a Dharma Master in the Zen tradition. Devoted to cultural healing and awakening, he is author of the international best-seller, The World Peace Diet, published in 16 languages, and is editor of Circles of Compassion. Creator of 7 much-loved CD albums of original piano music, he’s noted for clear and inspiring presentations that often include his music as well as evocative animal paintings by his spouse, Madeleine, a visionary artist from Switzerland. See www.worldpeacediet.com for more details.