It takes a village to get the word out about the Twin Cities Veg Fest. And Katelyn Maddox is just the person to help do it. Katelyn is one of our social media volunteers for the festival and has been promoting all things Twin Cities Veg Fest (with a side of vegan general interest) on Twitter. Read on to find out what motivates Katelyn to share her passion for plant-based foods.

What motivated you to get involved with Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA)?

I recently moved back to the Twin Cities from Des Moines, and after being semi-engaged with VegLife Des Moines I wanted to fully immerse myself in the Twin Cities vegan scene! I sought out Minnesotan vegan Facebook pages because that’s the media I was familiar with in Des Moines, and was thrilled to find CAA and the opportunity to volunteer with Veg Fest! 

What do you love most about volunteering?

I love being exposed to new people, ideas, and challenges! Volunteering is such a great way to engage in your passions and find like-minded friends. I love CAA especially because it allows me to grow as a vegan and share veganism with others. Volunteering allows you to explore different topics and roles you may not have in your daily life; I am the Twitter Coordinator and I have a science background and don’t even use a personal Twitter! 

When you are not helping out with CAA stuff, what do you like to do?

I am a program coordinator at The Open Door, a fantastic non-profit helping fight hunger in Dakota County. I am passionate about food and public health and will be going to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in the fall for my MPH. My favorite things to do include reading, lifting, and baking! I am always down for a new recipe and new vegan friends!

What inspires you to eat plant-based?

I started my vegan journey as a health and environmentally driven vegan, but am now equally as motivated by the need to take action for animals. There’s an infinite list of reasons to be vegan and one of my favorite parts of my vegan journey is becoming passionate about each new opportunity to learn more about diet’s connection with every part of the world.