A healthy flow of ideas is streaming through western Washington as volunteers and Washington Conference staff work to spread the benefits of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.
Nessy Pittau, Washington Conference health director, teamed up with church members Anita Jepson and Edel Amundson to organize a health event for sharing the vegan and vegetarian health message. They launched Smart Cooking for Life in 2010 to teach fresh starts for improving physical, mental and spiritual health.
On May 15, the enthusiasm for health was evident. With more than 85 attendees at this year's Smart Cooking for Life. Many in attendance were non-Adventists. Spreading the word about the event was an easy feat because volunteers used the opportunity of having church booths at VegFest to hand out invitations.
Volunteers also took advantage to share the message at the premiere of Forks Over Knives at the Varsity Theater in Seattle, Wash. They handed out Vibrant Life magazines, including an article on the film and the advantages of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.
They found that many people were interested in the importance of a vegetarian diet. They wanted to see the movie and read the magazine. Some were even asking about the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its involvement with teaching about healthier lifestyles, Pittau says.
"The program was refreshing. I learned so much," says an attendee of the Smart Cooking event. "I'm interested in learning more about Seventh-day Adventists."
A group of volunteers interested in health, including Anita Jepson (second from right), organized an annual health outreach event to share the Seventh-day Adventist health message with the community.
Smart Cooking for Life features cooking demonstrations, talks by medical professionals and display booths on health, nutrition, wellness and exercise.
