Yunuén Estér Brown shared her story at the recent Veg Out!: CAA’s Casual Banquet 2022. She has a strong love for farmed animals and devotes herself to their wellbeing. She sees her support of CAA as an essential way to put her passion for animals into action.

One way has been through volunteering at events like the Cinco de Mayo outreach. The Development Committee is another passion of hers. She and her husband, Sanchez, also generously provide a vegan taco meal each year to thank other volunteers. Their financial support includes being founding members of our Circle of Care sustaining donors’ group.

In the seven years she has been with CAA she has seen that our work gets results.  She and Sanchez, view their contribution as essential to our success. Yunuén shared: “I see donating as an act of activism to this movement and as long as there’s animals on this planet that rely on my compassionate empathy, I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.”

That is why she agreed to be a featured speaker at the banquet. Read on for the text of her talk:

“Greetings everyone & welcome to another awesome banquet put on by CAA! Woo hoo!

My name is Yunuén Brown and it’s an honor to be in front of all your beautiful faces after such a blur of a year or two—Ufff dahhh, am I right?

I’m sure you’re all here because you share the same love for Farmed Animals as I do.

Something you probably didn’t know about me, my all-time favorite animal is a Pig—big, small, messy, or clean—hey! I don’t body shame—I love’em all!

Overall, they are beautiful, smart beings with the intelligence of a three year old toddler.

Now, let’s look at Cows.

Actually, cows remind me of Me:

1. They’re highly sociable animals
2. They don’t sleep much
3. And they have a strong sense of smell.

Even ask my husband, Sanchez.

Interestingly enough, cows don’t see red.
Which is a bummer, because red is NOT my favorite color (points at red hair & outfit).

All jokes aside, can you all see how relatable we are to animals?

Whether you believe in evolution or creation, we can all at least agree that animals are extraordinary, loving, sentient beings with feelings, & distinctive personalities, that want to live their lives in peace.

Once again, does that not sound like I’m describing all of us? Our wants and our needs?
—
That brings me to Tamuno’s work.

Tamuno became part of the CAA Team 2 years ago as the Community Organizer, right in the heart of the pandemic.

I can personally say that it hasn’t been easy for any of us and it was a challenge to learn and adapt to the new virtual world, but that didn’t stop Tamuno.

Tamuno took his life experiences, knowledge, & multiple talents, and ran with it.

For example:
1. He helped create a bunch of content for CAA, including some really cool videos.
2. He does a lot of the photography
3. He offers virtual, cooking demos and classes.
4. And most importantly, he educates the BIPOC community on the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

His work is crucial to CAA and I’m happy that he’s helping lead the charge.
—
Speaking of Tamuno, Tamuno, alongside Laura Matanah (our Executive Director), Julie Knopp (our Board President), Emily Nyberg (our Design Director), Theresa Zingery (our Communications Coordinator), the countless number of sympathetic, hardworking volunteers, the generous donors, & for the folks just hearing about CAA & checking it out, THANK. YOU. ALL.

EACH & EVERYONE OF YOU are the reason why CAA is still here and millions of our animal friends got to live to see another day. YOU all are the reason why there’s more awareness in our society and various cultures about a plant-based lifestyle.

I can wholeheartedly say that CAA is my home since I went vegan 10 years ago and came across their website seven years ago.

Since then, I have NEVER felt anything other than loved, appreciated, and welcomed into this beautiful family of like-minded, incredible human beings.
—
Due to this overwhelming appreciation, my handsome husband Sanchez and I decided to not only support CAA by volunteering and AHEM… fattening you all up with our homemade Vegan Tacos—if you know, you know—but we decided to become members of the Circle of Care.

1st of all, look at this pretty neat pin you get when you join.

Aside from getting this awesome pin, you get to physically see where your donations go.

As a nosey, visual learner, I need to see it to believe it, but look— look around you.

Our donations funded all of this (points around).
Our donations fund VegFest.
Our donations fund CAA’s Mission and brings it to life by encouraging people to cultivate empathy for animals and move toward a plant-based diet.

Last, but not least,
Our donations helps keep the awesome,
full time paid staff, such as Laura and Tamuno, to keep CAA running for all of us to appreciate and which our animal friends can benefit from.

To me, I see donating as an act of activism to this movement and as long as there’s animals on this planet that rely on my compassionate empathy, I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.

So, please join us.
SOLIDARITY. “