Who We Are

Established in 1993, the Vegetarian Society of El Paso (VSEP) has become one of the largest vegetarian associations in the US as well as one of the most active. We are an all-volunteer, non-profit educational organization whose mission is to promote the benefits of a plant-based diet by incorporating education with entertaining social events. In an effort to optimize the spirit of sharing, The Vegetarian Society of EI Paso is pleased to be affiliated with The Lone Star Vegetarian Network (www.lsvn.org) - a Texas-wide organization.

What We Do

In order to promote a vegetarian diet, we sponsor a plethora of activities including: The Restaurant Hoppers, educational presentations, bimonthly potluck banquets, cooking classes, and various informational events. In addition, we publish a quarterly newsletter entitled Life Giving Choices that spans a variety of topics including health, environment, and animal concerns.

In our Restaurant Hopper series, several of the local chefs have expanded their repertoire by creating a vegan menu for the night. Our latest informational dining event included pairing wines with a five-course vegan meal. An additional benefit of these opportunities is the ability to let local businesses know that there is a great demand for vegan entrees in the El Paso area.

This desire for more choices has led to the publication of the El Paso Restaurant Guide. In order to be included in the guide, each restaurant has to offer at least one vegan dish. See our dining guide.

The bimonthly educational dinners have been a huge success. Our volunteer staff works closely with a local restaurant to create a delicious dining experience which is then followed by an educational presentation that ranges in topics from nutrition to vegan ideals. Through this program, VSEP has sponsored nationally known speakers such as John Robbins, author of Diet for A New America; Howard Lyman, a 4th generation rancher turned vegan and author of Mad Cowboy; Erik Marcus, author of Vegan: the New Ethics of Eating (www.vegan.com); vegan nutrition expert Brenda Davis, author of Becoming Vegan and Defeating Diabetes; "Not Milkman" Robert Cohen, author of Milk: the Deadly Poison (www.notmilk.com); and many others.

Vegans and non-vegans alike delight in sharing their culinary prowess at our bimonthly potluck dinners. The dinners are fun, social events where we take recipe sharing to a whole new level. It gives all diners the ability to try different dishes and to share secrets of the trade.

We participate in local and regional health fairs and national events such as The Great American Meatout, World Vegetarian Day, Vegetarian Awareness Month, Veal Ban Action Day, World Farm Animals Day, and the annual Animal Rights Conference. In addition, El Paso hosted the Statewide Annual Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off in 1996.

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Vegetarian Society of El Paso is to educate others about the joy and benefits of being vegetarian. The organization is committed to social change toward a vegan lifestyle which is free of animal products and animal testing. We recognize that our members will be diverse in their diets, interests, beliefs and philosophies. Thus, membership is open to anyone professing an interest in vegetarianism.

Contact Us

Office hours are from 9:00 to 11:30 and 1:00 to 4:00. For an appointment, please contact Sukie Sargent (915) 877-3030, or write us at:

VSEP
6757 Gato Road
El Paso, TX 79932

General inquiries: info@vsep.org

or

Greg Lawson, President: president@vsep.org

Join the Team!!

Become part of one of the best vegetarian societies in the country and help us make it THE BEST. The following VSEP Board and volunteer vacancies are up for grabs:

If you have the skills and the energy to volunteer, please call Sukie Sargent at (915) 877-3030.

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