About
History
Vegans in Sarasota have been meeting as a community for over two decades. The Sarasota Vegan Society (SVS) was founded officially on January 1, 2020, by Paul Murphy.
Paul explains, “I noticed, in all the volunteer work I was doing since moving to Sarasota in 2014, that none of the environmental groups, organizations, city or county government departments acknowledged diet in any of their events. Observing this after being asked by a friend to write a book, open a restaurant, or start a group—I started the Sarasota Vegan Society. I began injecting SVS into as many environmental events possible. I believe the ethics we have as vegans, and apply toward animals, we must also have for the environment which we all inhabit. Without which none of us would exist. There is also the added intention of the SVS acting as a hub connecting all the other groups, businesses and individuals in the region. Something representing all of us on every side. Not just focusing on one demographic, activity, event type or function, but integrative, dynamic and collaborative".
Its original intentions were not fulfilled in 2020 due to the shutdown of society during the pandemic and needed to be rethought. Potlucks were considered the bread and vegan butter of groups for building community. Those no longer happened due to social distancing and restaurants changing to carryout, or delivery. That is when the vegan picnics started. This way like-minded vegans could meet, hangout, enjoy each-others company—have conversation and network as a community, as well as get out in the fresh air of nature. The vegan picnics continue and are currently associated with a trail hike, barefoot beach walk, kayak tour, birding or naturing event.
Since the pandemic ended, we have enjoyed meeting monthly at our local vegan only restaurants and a few other vegan-friendly ones. The SVS crew also partners with other organizers on the Gulf Coast to gather for one large event somewhere and to collaborate for other purposes; like making Florida a vegan state by 2030.
Aside from our social gatherings, our community conducts all types of activism with different organizers. Typically there is at least one documentary screening* each year that has an interview with the filmmaker or other related person. We are also asked to participate in many environmental events to represent the diet portion for the environment.
Finally, each year we have one large vegan potluck for our annual ThanksVegan Day celebration.
*See the Events page for past screenings and the Resources page for a link to our YouTube channel with Zoom interview recordings.
Society Logo
Awareness
Attention
Intention
Integrity
The design of the society logo has meaning and intention. It’s obvious that the logo appears like an orange. We are Floridians, so there's that. It also is the form of a circle. Circles have great esoteric information relating to them, such as our planet, wedding rings and a circle of people holding hands. Circles are a symbol of oneness and unity. To many who are not initiated in certain eastern schools of thought, this circle is an Ensō symbol of Zen art (the revelation of a world of the spirit without beginning and end). An Ensō symbol can be drafted as open or closed. Each symbol is chosen to represent the meaning of them. The orange part, the open Ensō. The green leaves, the closed Ensō. [In Zen art, an ensō (円相, “circular form”) is a circle hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express the Zen mind, which is associated with enlightenment, emptiness, freedom, and the state of no-mind. ~Wikipedia] The letters of Vegan within the Ensō symbol are also a brush stroke to mirror the same thought intention. It is also noticed as being off the horizontal. This is unconventional and representative of how vegans themselves broke from the linear or norm by choosing the vegan lifestyle. The main logo shows the name of this community going from within to without, another esoteric meaning; i.e., crossing the lines, going beyond the frame, as within without, etc..
The colors of the orange have a double meaning, to represent the fruit as secondary colors as well as the metaphysical or spiritual interpretation in relation to the seven chakras. The color orange is the color representing the Sacral, or Svadhishthana Chakra. This is the social aspect of our group like that of the saffron robes of the Buddhists and Hare Krishas.
The color green, like a green traffic light meaning GO, is the same meaning for our group. The word vegan is green as well as the leaves of the orange to match the same relationship with nature and growth. This color green is the color representing the Heart, or Anahata Chakra.
Finally, the words Sarasota and Society are violet to represent the color of light at the short wavelength end of the visible spectrum (the highest vibrational frequency). The color violet is the color representing the Crown, or Sahasrara Chakra. This represents the highest connection to the supreme Self.
The ‘button’ logo is exactly that, for use in making group buttons. It also serves well for any minimal use in small or circular spaces. It is what is seen on the top left of this page in front of the Sarasota Vegan Society name. There is an icon called a favicon that is seen on the tab of the browser page you have open for this website. It is also seen in the url window before the url for this website in some browsers. It is so small that the words cannot be read. All that was reduced down to a singular upper case V for Vegan. Even this is barely seen, but the intention carries over. Finally there are the certifying logos used for certifying products or entire businesses as vegan. These are only for products or businesses in the greater Sarasota region, simply for community building brands.
Sarasota Vegan Society is a three-word name, it has meaning as well. The trinity, for example. Corporate America has special interests of certain esoteric schools of thought who use three-word acronyms to identify their own businesses apart from others. Buddha realized the use of the series of threes. He and his entourage would only stay three days at each location they stopped at. One day was too short, four too long and three was just right. Goldilocks and the Three Bears is an analogy based on this thought.
There’s explanation of the use in the wording of society. This is not used in the organizational or club sense, but in the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.
Lastly, all this culminates into the three-fold manifestation of awareness, intention and integrity. Each of which are utilized in the choice of being vegan, and without which we could not be that for the animals.
The Website
The Sarasota Vegan Society (SVS) website is a showcase into the vegan community of the greater Sarasota region. This includes both Manatee and Sarasota County’s with the city of Sarasota as close to the geographical center of each of their northern and southern ends.
There’s been a lot of explanation of the society logo as it is in correlation to its colors and esoteric meaning. Likewise the website has similar meaning and intention.
There are seven pages relating to the seven layers of consciousness like the layers of our skin as well as the seven chakra. These seven pages also emulate a beginning and end of the thought-intention of this website. Beginning with our home Sarasota; the introduction of our community to the world. Then ending in the Anthropocene that is the end of our world as we know it; due to our species and our habits that impact the environment and other species to this point.
On the home page there are the colors of the refracted visible light spectrum that relate to the produce we eat, the many-colored animals and the chakras; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The animal silhouettes are the elephant, bear and lion relating to the Ringling Circus that went out of business after over a century due to activism for the animals. The greyhound represents the dog racing tracks that have been banned since 2018 due to petitions against animals cruelty. And the last three animals are endangered species in Florida due to urban sprawl destroying their habitat; bald eagle and Florida panther. This is only a few listed of over fifty actual.
The home page has what we go vegan for, the animals. This is followed by the benefits of which seven are listed along with the correlating colors of the seven chakras. A series of three’s and seven’s run throughout the site as well as a balance and symmetry of other symbols of numerology. There are three columns if viewed from a desktop or laptop computer.
Why so many esoteric references, especially if it’s about the animals? Good point. It isn’t that simple. We look at things with a microscopic vision; seeing only a relatively one-sided perspective in a dualistic reality. Things that occur at this level are happening because of much larger bigger picture events and circumstances. Veganism is only a small part in this.
Before veganism began the founders of this term were known as non-dairy vegetarians. They splintered off from the Vegetarian Society (VS) of the UK because they were not allowed to be a part of the VS as non-dairy vegetarians. That is when the term vegan began. After a short time they decided it wasn’t enough. They stopped eating animals and their by-products as food then chose to evolve to all forms of cruelty against animals. This is when modern day veganism and animal activism began. The founder of veganism was allegedly kicked out for not being vegan enough, and this is how it has been for over 60 years. Since the advent of veganism is has continued to evolve. It is no longer enough that we are simply vegan for the animals. This does not dismiss this concept. In fact, it enhances it. Because if we do not have a planet, with the conditions of life that we have to exist in it, then we all die. The very same ethical consideration we have projected in veganism toward the other species of animals must also apply to our planet of which we could not be without. What good is being vegan for only the animals if we all cannot breath air, drink our water, or have any soil left to grow and eat plants in the next 50 years or less?
We are at a crossroads of another step up of being vegan. That is the interconnectedness of all beings and life one earth. We Are One. All Life Is One. There is no separation. With this awareness we can see how all our lives and being has been coming to this point of awakening so that we can see the impact of our actions upon the whole. It is a higher consciousness that has brought us to this point, whether it is believed in or not. We are only in the foothills of it right now. The culmination of it is yet to be seen.
Who We Are
We Are Vegan! That's who we are.
Who and what we are not: The Sarasota Vegan Society is neither an official group nor an organization. It is neither an ad hoc nor a grass roots organization. It is the general vegan populous et al of the greater Sarasota region. There is neither any membership dues, fees, nor formal board or executive. Anyone who calls themselves a vegan and lives in the greater Sarasota region is part of this community. Everyone benefits from what everyone else does whether on these social media pages or not. No one is paid for their service to our community either. We are all about building community.
Our demographics are very diverse. There are people in our community from all walks of life. This leads to some very interesting dishes to try at our annual potluck. Non-vegans may also join our social media pages, the only condition is one has to live within a 25-mile radius of downtown Sarasota to participate. The only condition is they also have to agree to our society rules by ordering only vegan options at our non-vegan restaurant events, including any of our potlucks or vegan picnics. There are some who join us from beyond the 25-mile radius and they are welcome to our events if they are aware of them. It is always interesting to find this out. We all enjoy being united under a common cause for animals. Singles, couples, families and their fur babies are welcome. We here, in Sarasota, are a strong and rising community of vegans.
Discrimination, bullying, misconduct or injustice of any kind toward anyone is not tolerated. Integration versus segregation is the mantra. It is very rare that anyone is removed from being a part of our community events and gatherings, but it does occur. Workability is left open until it is no longer workable.
All of our events are free, except for any costs incurred from food or beverages whiles ordering out. There may be a donation bucket out at our group outings, but we do not compel anyone to pay for being there. This leaves no financial obstacle for those living on a fixed budget to join us. There is more assertion to request donations at our most expensive events to cover costs so there's no undue burden upon a few people to carry the group financially, although it is not required for showing up. What donations that are received has kept our lifestyle as a community going with the SVS. Without them we do not grow. Everything that’s seen at our public and private events are paid for by contributions of cash gifts/donations to the Community Fund.
In addition, nobody profits by exploiting our community. None of our group organizers charge a fee for their contribution to the community; therefore, there can be no corruption. On the flipside, everyone in our community who owns a vegan business can self-promote their business by posting liberally on the community page via their personal social media account.
Meet the Remarkable Leaders of Our Community
(In alphabetical order)
Erika Appleseed
Social Media Activist
“I created Sarasota Vegan Foodies for the community to share our favorite places to eat and new products that come along. Sharing delicious vegan food is also a form of activism. There’s no limit to what you can make vegan nowadays.”
Don Blackowiak
Owner of the VegSarasota Meetup group
Chris Bowling
Vegan Foodie & Event Organizer of VegSarasota and the Sarasota Vegan Society.
Michael DeMoran
Event Organizer, Activist & Professor
Wendy Dingwall
Society Editor, Author, Vegan Shaman & Energy Healer
“I’ve been vegan for seventeen years, both for health reasons and the animals. A quote from the book Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston sparked my resolve when she said, “when we eat animals, we take into our bodies all the suffering and pain the animal has endured.” I immediately began her twenty-one-day challenge, eating no animal product, and never looked back. I will forever be grateful for her inspiring words, I gained better health, energy, and a welcome shift in my spiritual path.”
Patty Foley
Raw Vegan Event Organizer
Kim
“I'm a vegan of 20 years and organize Vegans of Sarasota, Vegans of Tampa and Vegan Singles in Sarasota. I offer online workshops for those wanting to learn more about veganism that will result in creating more vegans.”
Paul Murphy
Organizer and Founder of the Sarasota Vegan Society, Visionary, Educator and Animal Rescuer. Vegan since 2002, vegan for life.
“There is a void in the world of humans and their connection toward other species and the planet we all inhabit. These are critical times and nature is waiting for us to awaken.”
Joe Rossi
Event Organizer of the Sarasota Vegan Society.
“A new form of species civil rights will end speciesism. The good news is future generations will adopt a new A.I. world order with the main objective; 'Preserve all life on earth'!”
Malaina Watts
Activist, Mentor & Event Organizer of the Sarasota Vegan Society. Also the U.S. Liaison/Campaigner for the Plant-Based Treaty.
“Being vegan is the bare minimum we can do, knowing the needless suffering of animals. It is everyone’s moral obligation to speak up for those who are not heard.”
Laura Weiss
Organizer of Manatee & Sarasota County Vegans, and volunteer at the Humane Society of Manatee County and the Florida Voices for Animals.
“If we can live happy and healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn't we?”
Cynthia White
Vegan Advocate & Event Organizer of South Venice, Florida Vegans & Surrounding Areas and the Sarasota Vegan Society.
“Nurture your body, honor the earth and cherish every creature.”
Community Fund
There is no bank account setup to collect donations as we are not a formal organization. There is also no executive board or directors with a treasurer to monitor this fund officially. It is based on an honor system and Paul Murphy is entrusted with this duty as well as seeing fit with how this is best used. This fund is cash or checks collected from our community as monetary gifts and saved until used.
Cash is collected at our outdoor community events as well as general public events. They have been used to pay for our society event pavilion reservations, event supplies, document copies and office supplies, and purchase of making products to sell, and now this website.
These contributions not only support maintaining these privileges, but are a demonstration of our communities interest, devotion and integrity of sustaining it as well as an investing commitment in giving back to the community by paying it forward.
As of September 16 | $0
Contact Information
Contact Us | 941-323-7477
[Leave a message on voicemail for a callback, or text, and state your name and what you are calling about.]
Address: c/o 1444 First St., Sarasota, FL 34236