We’re excited to welcome Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary to Rochester VegFest 2024! 🌿🐄 This Byron, NY sanctuary provides a safe haven for farm animals, offering them a life filled with love and care. Their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and advocate for animals, promoting a cruelty-free lifestyle.
Mockingbird Farm has generously donated a gift basket to our raffle, and they’ll also be at VegFest sharing more about their work and selling merchandise. Be sure to visit their booth on August 24th at Parcel 5 to learn how you can support their mission.
We’re proud to welcome People for Animal Rights of Central NY (PARCNY) as a Bronze Sponsor and vendor at Rochester VegFest 2024! 🌿🐾 PARCNY is dedicated to educating the public about animal rights and environmental protection through events, newsletters, and peaceful demonstrations.
Stop by their booth on August 24th at Parcel 5 to learn more about their mission and how you can get involved in making a difference for animals and the planet.
We’re thrilled to acknowledge the amazing brands and organizations that have generously donated to the Rochester VegFest 2024 raffle. Their contributions not only add excitement to our event but also help us keep VegFest free and accessible to all. You can get your raffle ticket at the event on August 24th at Parcel 5 for a suggested $3+ donation. Here’s a little bit about each donor and what they’ve contributed to make our raffle truly special:
Abundance Food Co-op
Abundance Food Co-op, Rochester’s only food cooperative, has graciously donated a $200 gift card. Located in the South Wedge, Abundance is dedicated to offering local, organic, and sustainable products that benefit both people and the planet. This gift card is a perfect way to explore their wide range of healthy, delicious groceries and support a community-focused business.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s has contributed a bag of their plant-based snacks to our raffle, giving you the chance to enjoy a variety of tasty treats. Known for their unique selection and friendly atmosphere, Trader Joe’s is a favorite among those who love discovering new and interesting foods. This snack bag is sure to delight any lucky winner!
Marilla’s Mindful Supplies
Marilla’s Mindful Supplies has donated a beautiful basket of sustainable home essentials. This local shop is committed to providing eco-friendly products that help reduce waste and promote a more mindful lifestyle. From reusable kitchen items to all-natural cleaning products, this basket is filled with practical and thoughtful items that align with Marilla’s mission of sustainability.
Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary
Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary has generously donated a basket of goodies for our raffle. This wonderful organization provides a safe haven for rescued farm animals and advocates for a cruelty-free lifestyle. Their donation is a reflection of their dedication to compassion and kindness, both for animals and for our community.
Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen
Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen has contributed a $100 gift card, offering the winner a chance to enjoy their deliciously nutritious whole food plant-based meals. Sweet Pea is all about making healthy eating easy and accessible, with a menu full of flavorful, plant-powered dishes. This gift card is a fantastic way to discover new favorites.
Wegmans
Wegmans has donated a $200 gift card, perfect for stocking up on groceries, home goods, or anything else you might need. As one of the region’s most beloved grocery stores, Wegmans is known for its commitment to quality, customer service, and community support. With a growing lineup of plant-based offerings, this generous gift card is a great way to explore new products that fit your lifestyle.
The Herbivore Next Door is joining us at Rochester VegFest 2024! 🌿👕 This unique vegan brand brings a collection of apparel and gifts that go beyond fashion—promoting compassion, consciousness, and style.
Visit their booth on August 24th at Parcel 5 to explore vegan message shirts, totes, stickers, and more. Every purchase supports a movement for a kinder, more harmonious world.
Welcome back, Christian Animal Rights Association! This nondenominational ministry is dedicated to educating, advocating, protecting, and defending the rights of all sentient animals from a Biblical and Christian perspective. We’re thrilled that they will be joining us for their second time at VegFest. Stop by their booth for more information, tee shirts, and more on August 24th!
Of course ARRoc will have a booth at VegFest! You knew how hard ARRoc leaders and members work year-round to bring VegFest here!
But you may not know that ARRoc will be selling our bumper stickers, including our new dairy one. Check them out, and stop by the booth to pick up a bunch! $3 each and save yourself the shipping charges. We also have lots of free information on how you can help animals in your daily lives.
SPEAKING SEPTEMBER 14th, 12:30 pm AT ROCHESTER VEGFEST!
Jonell Belcher-Chudyk, LCSW, AASW is the founder and executive director of Mockingbird Farm, a 501(c)3 farm animal sanctuary in Byron, NY (35 minutes west of Rochester). Jonell is also a therapist in private practice, primarily working with children, veterans (she is also a veteran herself) and their families who have experienced trauma or struggle with depression, anxiety, grief and loss. Jonell has found the unique bond between humans and non-humans to be incredibly powerful and healing when mutually respected and nurtured. Jonell became a published author in the field of human-animal interaction in 2010, and received scholarship to attend the University of Denver’s Master’s program at the Institute of Human Animal Interaction through DU’s Graduate School of Social Work.
In addition to operating the farm sanctuary and her private practice, she has given lectures on animal behavior, human- animal interaction, the field of animal assisted therapy and ethical considerations of animals in our lives. She also provides pro-bono counseling to individuals struggling with the loss of their animal companions, and evaluating comfort in the final stages of animal’s lives. Jonell has also developed workshops for veterinary clinics regarding compassion fatigue, burn out and self-care for veterinarian’s, residents, clinical fellows and support staff.
Jonell spends her days in gratitude physically and emotionally caring for the most vulnerable and oppressed sentient beings of our society. She and her husband Joe are currently raising their 3 year-old daughter Audrey at Mockingbird Farm, where Audrey has joyfully grown up with many baby goats and chickens being rehabilitated in the farmhouse!
Mockingbird Farm is a vegan oriented sanctuary and forever home to 23 animals who have been rescued from a life of neglect, abandonment, surrender or abuse. In a perfect world, sanctuaries wouldn’t need to exist, but because they do, Mockingbird Farm sets out to compassionately integrate humans into the lives of rescued animals in order to heal their physical and emotional trauma.
Animal Rights as Transformation
Jonell will be speaking about compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma for animal rights activists and advocates, how to care for yourself in a world that doesn’t [always] understand veganism, the most recently published literature in the field of human-animal interaction, real stories of mental health transformation (both human and non-human) through our relationships within species, and how you can make an impact.
OM Chanting is a group chanting technique that generates a lot of positive and healing energy, is beneficial for the Earth and helps raise our consciousness. When we chant the mantra OM in an OM Chanting group group for a sustained period of time we begin to feel amazing benefits and most importantly, our group intention and prayer get amplified. The energy collectively generated during and OM Chanting circles goes out into a large radious, showering everyone and everything with positivity.
The OM Chanting at the Rochester VegFest will be dedicated to animal welfare. We will unite with the intention to help shift our collective consciousness towards a more compassionate way of eating and living, and send supportive energy to all animals suffering. Change always starts with each individual. Chanting and meditation can help humanity tremendously to understand the value and unity of all beings. Please come and lend your voice to this special circle! No previous experience is necessary and everyone is welcome.
We will chant the sacred mantra OM out loud for 45min (it goes by very fast, you’ll be surprised!). Please bring a folding chair to sit on, or a blanket or yoga mat.
*OM Chanting is an active group healing technique reintroduced by spiritual Masters Paramahamsa Vishwananda and Mahavatar Babaji to support the Earth and mankind in this time of need. The vibrational waves created by the circle help create a harmonious, peaceful environment and a unity between all beings and nature.
Located on Culver Road in Rochester, P.A.N. helps cats and kittens find forever homes. Are you able to adopt or foster a feline friend? He or she is waiting for you now!
Welcome to Christian Animal Rights Association! They’re a new nondenominational ministry dedicated to educating, advocating, protecting and defending the rights of all sentient animals, from a Biblical and Christian perspective. They’ll have lots of information at their VegFest booth!
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Mockingbird Farm is a vegan oriented sanctuary and forever home to 23 animals who have been rescued from a life of neglect, abandonment, surrender or abuse. In a perfect world, sanctuaries wouldn’t need to exist, but because they do, Mockingbird Farm sets out to compassionately integrate humans into the lives of rescued animals in order to heal their physical and emotional trauma.
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