It'd be easy to classify Milwaukee's Loyal Mehnert a career volunteer. His extensive work with Habitat for Humanity resonates on a global scale and he's showing no signs of quitting.
Some call him a "professional adventurer," a label he earned by hiking the Appalachian Trail and trekking the 4,200 miles from London to the West African coast for a Habitat for Humanity pledge drive.
And, if he gets enough votes, he'll have another title to add to his repertoire. He's been nominated for PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door Award and is the only Milwaukeean in the running.
He was nominated by friend and says his entry is based on his activism and prolific volunteer work, not necessarily his physical appearance. While the cache of being the sexiest vegetarian is alluring, he says he's more focused on award as an opportunity to help get people involved in community work and animal rights.
Although the decade-long vegetarian does admit, "Any time someone thinks you're sexy is a good thing."
This wouldn't be the first time the 33-year-old has been publicly lauded. In summer 2009, he was nominated and selected to represent the Milwaukee Brewers in a MLB program to honor "All-Stars Among Us," a campaign that spotlights people who have gone above and beyond to serve their communities. Menhert and the other winners were honored at a MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis last year. All five living presidents attended the game, and President Obama threw out the first pitch.
Among the items in PETA's winning package is a complementary seven-day stay in Hawaii. Mehnert has already contacted the Habitat For Habitat affiliate in Maui and plans to spend the week volunteering in lieu of beach bumming, should he win.
"My main job is to fire up other people to get involved," he says. "So many people our age are closed in a little bit and worried about having the fancy car and nice clothes, but my view is that those things are fleeting and that it's more important to have experiences, see the world and do exciting things."
Last year, Mehnert traveled nine months out of the year. But when he is at home he makes the most of his time here. Last month he taught a class at REI Brookfield called "Adventuring, Volunteerism and Travelanthropy: A Global Guide," and plans to teach more.
While globe trotting to remote villages in Africa and Vietnam, he admits it can be a challenge to adhere to his vegetarian diet without offending locals who invite him into their homes for meals. That challenge abruptly ends, however, when he returns to Milwaukee, which he describes as having one of the best selections of vegetarian food in the country.
"I've lived on both coasts and traveled extensively for work, and Milwaukee is one of the best cities in the country for vegans and vegetarians, by far. I live on the East Side and there are at least 20 great restaurants within walking distance that offer fantastic vegetarian options."
His favorites are Comet and the Riverwest Co-op.
As a vegetarian, he believes how you treat animals in an indication of how you treat people. Help him spread his message by voting for him in PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door contest here by March 12.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
