An important message from Tracy, Organizer of Buffalo Vegetarian Society

Dear Members of the Buffalo Vegetarian Society,

We are very happy and pleased that you have chosen to be part of the Buffalo Vegetarian Society. I cannot believe it has already been well over a year since this endeavor started at a small Mexican restaurant in Buffalo. Our first meeting was fun, encouraging and exciting as we all expressed our need for understanding, education, and fellowship.

Since that time, we have grown in significant numbers and have even begun a monthly vegetarian potluck. All members of the community are welcomed at this community potluck, whether they are vegan, vegetarian or non-vegetarian. The people that attend these potlucks are from all walks of life as they persevere to do their best to be faithful, optimistic, and encouraged.

Recently, there have been some concerns on why we have chosen to hold alcohol free potlucks. Let me assure you that there are several reasons why we have chosen to ask our members to refrain from alcohol at these events. These reasons vary, however, the most important are to strive in keeping our community vegetarian potlucks family oriented and supportive, as well as interesting, fun and educational for everyone.

Although we promote an alcohol free climate at our community potlucks for these reasons, we do not suggest refraining from any wine or beer at our monthly dining outs. These gatherings are more liberal, and we only ask our members to refrain from ordering poultry, fish or beef. By maintaining a somewhat conservative and liberal approach, we hope to encourage all of our members to participate in most of our events.

However, in this world of diverse beliefs and cultural differences, we are sure to make some mistakes along the way that may unfortunately offend or make some of us uncomfortable. Therefore, let me reassure you that we are making every effort to work together to cultivate a sense of understanding so that we can somehow unify and come together as a whole, peacefully. It is only though this awareness can we continue to listen, learn, and grow.

All my best to all of you, and we hope to see you at our upcoming outdoor events this summer.

Sincerely,

Tracy

While on the topic of alcohol...Just an FYI to anyone who does not already know, many beers and wines are not truly vegan as they use animal products during production There are many vegan varieties available though.

From www.tastebetter.com:

"Putting aside arguments about health, many beers, wines and other alcoholic beverages are filtered with animal ingredients such as isinglass (derived from fish) or bone char. While the filtering process only leaves trace animal residues in the final product, the fact that animal products are used at all leaves many beverages off of the vegan drinker's shopping list. To make matters worse, some drinks are simply not vegan by virtue of their ingredients, as cream, eggs, and even whole chickens can be added to a drink to give it a distinctive flavour or property."

Link to article:

http://tastebetter.co...