THE MID-HUDSON VEGETARIAN SOCIETY
By Judi Gelardi, February 2010
The growing trend toward non-animal based diets is growing everywhere, including right here in the Hudson Valley. One organization – whose mission is to educate the community, promote the vegetarian ethic in this region, and aid anyone in the pursuit of a totally vegetarian, cruelty-free and healthy lifestyle – is the Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society.
Toward this end, the Society has been holding an annual Thanksgiving Vegetarian Pot Luck Dinner for twenty-five years. For the last five years, this tradition has been upheld at the Milan Town Hall. This year, there were almost one hundred guests who enjoyed abundant camaraderie and compassion and a meal that contained an outstanding array of delicious food – one that consisted of no turkey (or, for that matter, any other animal) “on our table.” In fact, the Society was able to share this abundance by donating enough food to help the Grace Smith House in Poughkeepsie feed ten of its residents.
Everyone participated, and the Society’s newly formed Youth Group had an especially great time trimming the tree with decorations they made expressing sentiments of “what we’re thankful for.” It was a very wonderful day that allowed us to give thanks for being truly blessed to live among all God’s creatures. And a day for which we also express our thanks to the Town of Milan for the use of its hall.
If you want more information on the Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society, including a list of upcoming activities, visit www.mhvs.org. One event of particular note is the Meat Out, held on March 5th at the Church of the Messiah in Rhinebeck. This will feature our guest speaker, Gene Baur, the founder of Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen. The Society also conducts a Resource Group for anyone who would like to know more about transitioning to a plant-based diet. This Group meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in our office in Rhinebeck. Please call the office for more information: 845-876-2626.
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