Bonnie Viele volunteers with CAA as one of our social media volunteers, helping with posts and new ideas for our accounts. Find out how she discovered CAA, what keeps her busy, and her thoughtful approach to going vegan.

How did you get involved with CAA?

My love of vegan food led me to the Twin Cities VegFest a few years ago. I was blown away by the turnout — amazingly diverse cuisine, engaging speakers, and relevant local businesses. It made me want to get involved and help my community adopt empathy towards animals through events such as VegFest. I’ve been volunteering for CAA ever since.

What do you do for CAA, volunteer-wise?

As a social media volunteer, I write copy and come up with new content for the CAA Instagram and Facebook. In particular I showcase CAA programs, such as the Explore Veg Program, with engaging posts or Stories.

What do you love most about volunteering?

It’s crazy fun to keep a pulse on the latest plant-based offerings at local restaurants (um hi, I’ll take one of everything, please). In addition to the showing off the noms, who doesn’t love posting a funny vegan meme or cute animal sanctuary story?

When you are not volunteering, what do you do?

I work in healthcare as a electroneurodiagnostic technologist (I swear it’s a real thing). I love motorcycling, weightlifting, and hosting foster puppies before they find their forever homes. On any given day you’ll find me spending some quality Netflix time with my husband JT, our dog, Margo, and our two cats, Bertie and Maeby.

What advice would you give to new vegans? 

Of all the decisions I’ve made in my life, switching to a vegan lifestyle is the one I’m most proud of. I know it’s not just about me — it’s about making a real impact for animals, the environment, and our future. Socially it can be tough to navigate at first but it DOES get easier and it’s so worth it. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself in the process.