Raw Health and Happiness Society Leaders

We have quite a few people who have volunteered to help grow the Raw Health and Happiness Society. This page is dedicated to acknowledging them.

Founder: Roger Haeske
Email Announcements and Website: Roger Haeske

Main Meeting Leader: Stephen Parker (through 12/18/2006)
Meeting Room Liason: Stephen Parker

Treasurer: Vickie Hatcher

A Very Summarized Version Of Our Group's History

In 2002 I started a Raw Support Group which met at the George St. Co-op in New Brunswick, NJ. At that time we didn't really have a name for the group. That came in 2003 with the advent of the NYC meetings. I founded the NYC branch of the group in December of 2003 and we had our first impromptu meeting on Monday, December 7, 2003 at Caravan of Dreams.

I wrote the group's success principles along with Joel Brody. Joel, the late Charles France and Loren Bruni helped me to edit the success principles. Joel has been a constant presence at the group and our leading raw food missionary in NYC.  Loren Bruni and Charles France helped to inspire me to start the meetings in Manhattan.

I led the early meetings and so did Stephen Parker. Joel Brody and Carol Pessin led some of the early meetings as well.

The start of our group was quite a battle actually. Stephen Parker led the meeting (maybe the second or third meeting) in which we had the showdown with the leader of the other semi-raw food / colonics group of which we were former members. We were just trying to have a support group meeting when she invited her friends to come and disrupt our meeting. Unbelievably, she was doing everything in her power so that our meetings would not continue. How did that help the growth of the raw food movement in NYC?

She was basically bashing us and completely misrepresenting what we were doing and the purpose for our meetings. I think the people she invited to infiltrate our meeting that night quickly realized that she misled them as to what was really going on. It was quite a combative experience, but we were not going to bow down to pressure because of one person.

As Joel Brody always said, "I look forward to the day when there are hundreds of raw food meetings going on, on the same day." Why can't we all just be friends? This wasn't a matter of competition but of choice. The raw food community in NY was expanding and different people had different needs. Our new group had a very different focus and philosophy.

Those were really tough times. I knew it was going to be tough, but we needed a new group with a different message. We wanted as a goal to strive being 100% raw. We wanted our leaders "whenever possible" to be 100% raw. We believed in the general principles of Natural Hygiene and living as close to nature's plan as possible.

Let me not forget our early members like the Westchester group consisting of Carol Pessin, Vickie Hatcher and Randy. How about Francine (author of A Radiant Life) and her daughter Sara. Then there was the ever present Ralph, one of the main reasons we decided to keep our meetings on Monday night as it was the only night he could attend. Ralph was the inventor of the term "cooked matter," because he was unwilling to call something food, after it has been destroyed by cooking.

I also want to acknowledge Stephen Parker for all the work he did in being the meeting leader for such a long time. He came in when I had had enough and needed to focus on making a living.

Vickie Hatcher has been a strong presence as our treasurer and I've love her Watermelon Festivals in the summer.

I'll be adding more information as I remember it and feel free to remind me if I have forgotten to mention your contribution. There certainly have been more contributions than I have stated so far. Thanks to everyone who has helped to grow the Raw Health and Happiness Society.

To Your Radiant Health, Happiness and Fitness, Roger Haeske