 |
           
|
Outstanding Activist!
After
spending a summer at a family friend's farm in Tennessee, a ten-year old
Rebecca Goth learned firsthand of the bleak reality faced by most animals
who are raised for food. What started as a joyful time playing with pigs
and cows ended sorrowfully when she was told that the playmates she had
named and come to love would be killed for people to eat. Like most children
she asked, "Why would anyone do this?" Pressure to remain within
the "framework" of accepted societal norms, however, kept her
complacent until she made the bold choice to become vegetarian in 2000.
Six years later, she is now vegan and feels 100% better not only physically,
but also emotionally and spiritually.
Strongly believing that an animal-free diet allows individuals to achieve a higher level of consciousness, Rebecca embarked on her journey into farm animal advocacy around the same time that she began working at Primal Spirit Foods, a West Virginia-based company that makes Primal Strips vegan jerky. Understanding that people cannot effect change for animals if they are unaware of the cruelties they endure, Rebecca educates nearly all of the company's clients by including literature, at her own expense, with every food order she mails out.
Although it was Ralph Abernathy, a prominent civil rights activist, who said, "I don't know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future," Rebecca is a person who also recognizes the potential of our nation's youth and is nothing short of passionate about her efforts to raise their awareness of the plight of farm animals. Utilizing Cultivating Compassion materials developed by Farm Sanctuary, Rebecca has introduced our humane education program to an entire school system in Wheeling, West Virginia and recently worked with a teacher's store there to carry our program materials. In addition to earning her a feature article in her local newspaper, Rebecca's unceasing advocacy has also reaped amazing results that have inspired her to move beyond her community and introduce the Cultivating Compassion Program to school systems in neighboring states.
Rebecca's
activism stretches far beyond the classroom walls as well. At every stoplight,
she hightails it out of her car to pass out flyers and vegetarian starter
kits to other commuters. She is a fan of keeping activist materials on
hand because, as she says, "you never know who you might run into."
Additionally, Rebecca is working on several educational outreach projects
targeted at the military, prisons, country music star, Willie Nelson,
and Farm-Aid. Adhering to activist Eddie Llama's advice of starting local
and then expanding, Rebecca is truly well on her way to making extraordinary
leaps for farm animals. Thank you, Rebecca, for all you do to make a better,
brighter future for all!
Together, we ARE making a difference. If you would like to find out more about volunteering your time to educate others about factory farming and vegetarianism, please contact us at activist@farmsanctuary.org, or call 607-583-2225 ext. 229. Click here to find out what YOU can do to help!