A Vegan Food Bank w/ Gwenna Hunter and the Tule Elk w/ Sue Fischer

You’re in for not one but two interviews with incredible activists in this episode! We’re thrilled to welcome both Gwenna Hunter and Sue Fischer back to the podcast for updates.

First, we catch up with Gwenna about her newest project, the Vegans of LA Food Bank. Gwenna tells us how she turned a longtime dream into a reality after partnering with Hope On Union Food Pantry to launch a monthly all-vegan food bank. Housed in a former meat market, the Vegans of LA Food Bank provides fresh produce and plant-based meats to the community. We dive into the importance of food banks, the community’s response to vegan specialty products, and the negative impacts of food deserts.

Then, Sue joins the show for an update about the Tule Elk of California’s Point Reyes National Seashore. Sue first joined us on episode 618 to tell us about the damage cattle ranchers and dairy facilities are inflicting on the members of this native elk species who call the National Seashore home. Sue tells us about the lack of water and forage available to a herd penned in by fences and how local activist groups continue to bring attention to the heartbreaking situation. She also updates us on an ongoing lawsuit regarding the promised lease extensions for dairy and cattle businesses that will allow them to take this land away from the elk and other wildlife, in spite of the fact that, as a national park, it belongs to us all.

Gwenna Hunter is the founder of Vegans of Los Angeles, aka Vegans of LA. In May of 2022, she launched the first Vegan Food Bank in Los Angeles and is now the first Black woman to have a brick-and-mortar vegan food bank in the United States. Gwenna went vegan in February of 2016 after experiencing a supernatural awakening and sharing the same consciousness with a cow in a dream state. This experience allowed her to fully understand that cows are aware of their existence and love, as are all animals. She is also a co-author of the books Vegan Voices for Animals Liberation and Vegan Voices. Gwenna has worked in the movement doing various forms of activism to help people make the connection and reprogram their belief systems regarding the treatment of animals and how we see food.

Vegan since 2012, Sue Fischer has worked as a registered dietitian for about 15 years. Her previous advocacy had predominantly been related to food—encouraging people to eat more plants and less (preferably no) animals. It was the fall of 2018 when Sue viewed the documentary, The Shame of Point Reyes. Her discovery left her feeling incredibly sad for the suffering elk and cows, launching her activism in this area. Her current work brings together many of the most critical issues we currently face when advocating for wildlife impacted by climate change, the harms of animal agriculture, and the importance of our national park system.

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