December 23, 2022

Thanks to generous donations by foundations and individual supporters we have recently been able to hire someone to support and expand our growth! Abbey Feola will be our new full-time Program Manager.

You may recall that Abbey was working for us 10 hours a week as a program assistant. She has been doing an outstanding job supporting other staff. The needs of our growth require more hours and an enhanced focus. We have created a new position that will organize and coordinate many of our initiatives this year.

Abbey (she/her) joined CAA as Program Assistant in February of 2022 after volunteering at several CAA events and loving the open, welcoming atmosphere she found there. As Program Assistant, she supported participants taking the Explore Veg Challenge and assisted with a variety of other CAA programming.

In her previous years at Macalester College and Habitat for Humanity, she created outreach programs and worked with volunteers around topics relating to sustainability and housing.

She spends her time outside of CAA volunteering at pet rescues, getting involved in new sports, spending time with her friends and family, and taking care of her pets.

She answered some of our questions below so that we could get to know her better:

What motivated you to get involved with animal advocacy?

Realizing what animals go through in factory farms — and that pigs are just as emotional and social as the cats and dogs I’ve lived with — is what got me involved. Realizing the environmental impacts of industrial animal agriculture was another factor — for instance, where I’m from, the Chesapeake Bay area, chicken farms are one of the biggest water polluters. 

What about CAA appeals to you?

I was drawn to CAA because of the community-based, open approach it takes to communicating about plant-based living. And CAA events, even enormous ones like TC Veg Fest, have always had a welcoming, positive atmosphere. 

What are your hopes for CAA and for the animal protection movement?

My end hope is that we decrease the amount of suffering in the world, and there’s a lot of pieces that click together to make that happen. I hope that we raise awareness of the reasons to eat plant-based, that we legislate protections for animals against abuses that are currently legal, and that we make plant-based food accessible and normal in school systems. 

Speaking of compassionate living, what are your favorite vegan foods?

Chili, cornbread, and pasta with coconut or cheez sauce. I’ve also been rediscovering salads — it turns out they can be both easy and flavorful. 

How do you spend your time when you’re not advocating for animals and our community?

I volunteer with local pet rescues, and enjoy spending time with my own pets (one cat and two guinea pigs). I love playing sports — though I’ve put the most time into martial arts and running.