Salem Vegan Society Launches First Annual Salem Vegan Food Drive to Benefit the Salem Mission

Salem, MA—May 13, 2006—As June approaches, the Salem Vegan Society of Salem, Mass., is now preparing to launch the first annual Salem Vegan Food Drive to Benefit the Salem Mission.

The first ever completely vegan (no animal products) charity food drive to benefit a homeless shelter in Salem, or in the Boston-metro region, all vegan food donations collected throughout the month of June in Salem will be donated to the Salem Mission, a homeless shelter that serves meals and provides shelter to temporary residents, located in their newly renovated shelter, kitchen and administrative offices on Margin Street in downtown Salem.

Mission Food Director Evelyn Wayson has embraced the vegan donation concept as a “great option” for donating to the Mission, and is cooperating fully with the SVS on this project.

Throughout the month of June, residents of Salem and surrounding communities will be able to drop off vegan, non-perishable food donations at select downtown businesses—listed on the SVS Web site and on posted flyers—during normal business hours. Salem Vegan Food Drive drop-off boxes will be provided to business owners, managers and staff to place in their lobbies or elsewhere in their shops. Boxes will be marked for identification and shop employees will direct donors. The public will have the entire month of June to make several donations at the drop-off locations if they choose to.

In addition to assisting the Salem Mission, the Salem Vegan Society is offering extra incentives for donations. Those who donate vegan food items during June will be eligible to enter the Salem Vegan Food Drive raffle. When items are dropped off, donors will have the option to provide their name and contact information to be entered into this year’s raffle: a chance to win the newly published vegan cookbook, Dining With Friends, written and published by the founder of the Stamford, Conn.-based animal rights group, Friends of Animals, along with a $30 gift certificate to the online vegan store, VeganEssentials (www.veganessentials.com).

Several downtown Salem businesses have already agreed to act as drop-off locations for the first vegan food drive of its kind in Salem, or elsewhere. Businesses that have signed on thus far include: Feed Your Head Books on Essex St., Artemisia Botanicals on Pickering Wharf, Salem Access Television on Derby St., Body & Soul Massage & Wellness Center and The Pickle Pot on Washington St. Other businesses may still sign on as drop-off points leading up to the June 1 launch date. Interested businesses may contact SVS prior to June 1.

According to Salem Vegan Society founder Marc Delaney, the first annual Salem Vegan Food Drive will benefit all of Salem, not only the residents of the Salem Mission. “By allowing downtown businesses to act as food drop-off points rather than having food brought directly to the Mission, Salem Mission staff will be able to continue to focus on their very important work of helping homeless residents without being detracted from it. At the same time, using the business drop-off points will bolster retail commerce downtown, and provide select Salem businesses the opportunity, annually, to support the Salem Vegan Society and our own mission, which is to promote the concept of veganism and animal rights in Salem and surrounding communities.

Veganism is a way of eating and living in which no animal products are used or purchased. Vegans take vegetarianism to the next level, omitting all dairy and eggs from their diets, along with all other meat and animal products. Vegans are most often also animal rights activists or are sympathetic to the animal rights movement. Besides eliminating meat and animal products from their diets, vegans also boycott all other products derived from animal sources, including wool, leather, fur, and certain cosmetics derived from animal sources.

So that residents of Salem and surrounding towns may better understand exactly what food items may be donated and which items are specifically excluded from the Vegan Food Drive this June, the SVS has provided an explanation of vegan food on their Web site page that announces and details the launch of the Vegan Food Drive. The page is located on the SVS Web site at www.salemvegan.org

The Salem Vegan Society is still a relatively new group in Salem, and their focus has recently shifted from that of a vegan social group to a vegan and animal rights news and information source. The group occasionally plans local events in Salem and provides monthly animal rights leafleting opportunities with the assistance a dedicated core group of activists, and in cooperation with other, national vegan and animal rights groups.

Resident of Salem and surrounding communities who would like to assist the SVS are strongly encouraged to join. The annual membership fee is $20 for adults, and is free to high school and college students. The group also recently initiated SVS Student Internships to college and high school students on the North Shore, who volunteer with the group to earn course credits.

Please visit www.salemvegan.org/SVS.food.drive.htm for additional details.

For more information about the first annual Salem Vegan Food Drive to Benefit the Salem Mission, contact Marc Delaney of the Salem Vegan Society: phone 978.745.3314 or email