January 20, 2024

How It All Began: Discovering Compassionate Action for Animals

Kedar Deshpande’s story with Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) began in 2007. He was a committed vegan when he moved to Minneapolis and began searching for a community that shared his values. “I had heard about CAA’s work in free food sampling and animal advocacy and made a donation because I love using food as a gateway to talking about animals,” Kedar shares. After connecting with CAA co-founder Unny Nambudiripad, Kedar quickly became very involved with the organization.

A Legacy of Volunteering and Leadership

Over the years, Kedar has taken on a variety of roles with CAA, including:

• Distributing educational leaflets
• Organizing potlucks and food sampling events
• Co-organizing the “Their Lives, Our Voices” animal advocacy conference
• Contributing to VegGuide.org, a global catalog of vegan-friendly restaurants started by CAA co-founder Dave Rolsky

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January 6, 2024

Moolan, a vibrant 7-year-old bovine, has been stealing hearts since she was rescued in January 2018. With her unique sideways horn and spunky personality, Moolan is a testament to resilience, curiosity, and the beauty of giving animals a second chance.

Moolan’s Story: A Rescue Rooted in Care

Moolan was born into a challenging environment. Her mother, Ellie, lived among cows that carried Johne’s disease — a condition that doesn’t affect milk quality but can harm the animals carrying it. While Ellie tested negative, there was a risk Moolan could contract the disease as a newborn in the pasture. To ensure their safety, Moolan and Ellie were allowed to be brought to a Farmaste Animal Sanctuary where they could live free from the dangers of disease and cruel dairy farming practices.

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December 16, 2024

We are excited to introduce our newest staff member at Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA), Kelso Anderson! With years of volunteer experience with CAA and a strong commitment to animal advocacy, Kelso brings passion, skill, and heart to our mission of ending factory farming. Read on to learn more about Kelso and his journey with CAA!

Stepping Into a New Role

As the new Program Assistant, Kelso will be helping CAA stay organized and efficient. In this part-time position he’ll help manage finances, track important data, and support other staff members with various projects and tasks. When asked about his motivation to apply for this role, Kelso shared:

“I’ve been volunteering with CAA for over two years, and I’m inspired by the organization’s mission. Joining the team officially felt like the best way to contribute more to ending animal suffering.”

Kelso’s attention to detail and dedication to the cause make him a great fit for this essential role.

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December 16, 2024

Anna Larsson has been an active volunteer with Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) for the past four years. A dedicated vegan for nearly 15 years, Anna’s passion for animals and community building has made her an outstanding volunteer. 

Her journey into volunteering began when she saw promotions for CAA’s annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off and Twin Cities Veg Fest. As an introvert, attending events solo seemed daunting. To make sure she went, she decided to volunteer — and she’s been hooked ever since!

“It was so much fun, and everyone was so inclusive and welcoming, that I felt like I had found my people,” Anna shares about her first experience volunteering at the Vegan Chili Cook-Off. This sense of belonging kept her coming back for more.

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November 25, 2024

Discovering CAA and a Passion for Service

Alysia Nelson has been volunteering with Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) for the past year and a half, combining her passion for plant-based living with her commitment to serving others. She discovered CAA through MeetUp while searching for programs that served plant-based meals. Alysia was drawn to CAA’s work preparing and serving meals for those in transitional housing at Simpson Housing Services.

Why CAA?

“CAA does A LOT to improve the lives and well-being of animals,” Alysia shared, explaining what initially impressed her about the organization and inspired her to get involved.

A Range of Volunteer Roles

Since joining CAA, Alysia has contributed in various ways, including as a photographer for this year’s Twin Cities Veg Fest. She described the experience as “a blast and really well-organized.” With her enthusiasm for photography, the role was a natural fit, and she appreciated how accessible CAA makes it to volunteer.

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Some guests at ThanksLiving

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November 25, 2024

On November 23, 2024, Matthews Park in Minneapolis was filled with the amazing smells of vegan dishes as over 100 people came together for Compassionate Action for Animals’ (CAA) annual ThanksLiving potluck. This special event featured a feast of plant-based foods, including highlights like vegan turkey and gluten-free meatloaf donated by The Herbivorous Butcher. These favorites, along with a variety of sides, drinks, and desserts, showed off the creativity and passion of the CAA community.

Building Connections

The ThanksLiving potluck wasn’t just about the food — it was also about connecting with others. Guests filled out forms with fun questions like “What can you teach others?” and “What would you like to learn?” These conversation starters led to great discussions and helped people at each table bond, even if they already knew each other.

Fun Prizes and Generous Donors

To make the event even more exciting, completed forms were entered into a prize drawing. Thanks to donations, five lucky winners received gifts like a Tabitha Brown cookbook and gift cards to NE Wellness. The grand prize — a $100 gift card to NE Wellness — went to Breanna Knutson. She plans to use it for a relaxing massage (well deserved after leading the Twin Cities Veg Fest Planning Committee!).

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November 18, 2024

The Twin Cities have some amazing vegan holiday offerings this year! From pies and meal kits to full dinners, local businesses are providing a wide range of plant-based options to help you create a compassionate and delicious celebration.  This is especially timely as recent research shows that 29% of all Americans plan to have plant-based options on their Thanksgiving table!

Our guide provides ideas for some of this season’s best vegan holiday specials. This page is a work in progress requiring group input to make it as complete and accurate as possible. We captured as much information as we could but may have missed some special offerings. Help out and email us with any additional vegan holiday options or to add further details: [email protected]. Information on options in Greater Minnesota are particularly helpful. Please note that some deadlines may have passed or items may be sold out — check with each business for more details. 

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November 11, 2024

Spring Farm Sanctuary Welcomes Hope and Asher

Spring Farm Sanctuary recently welcomed two very special sheep, Hope and Asher, who have quickly become part of the sanctuary family. Their journey to safety began when the sanctuary received a call about two lambs in desperate need. These lambs had been neglected and were about to be killed. It was clear they needed immediate help, so Spring Farm rushed to save them, hoping to give them a second chance at life.

Rescue and Recovery

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November 11, 2024

A Look at Our New Space

We’re now sharing our office space with the local nonprofit DEMO, a group preserving and promoting Minnesota’s music legacy. This connection was made possible by DEMO’s Mitch Thompson, a past CAA board member and current volunteer. Laura Matanah, CAA Executive Director shares why she’s enthusiastic about the space: ”We’ve been lucky to find a new space for below-market rates with everything we wanted: ADA accessible, close to transit, easy access to an outdoor space to gather, and kitchen access for events. We’re right by the Mississippi River. We look forward to welcoming volunteers and donors there!”

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October 11, 2024

Catherine Krummey, a passionate advocate for plant-based living, launched her blog Veg Out in 2022 to combine her love for vegan comfort food and film. Pairing delicious vegan recipes with her favorite movies and TV shows, Veg Out has become a space where food lovers and movie buffs connect.

Involvement With Compassionate Action for Animals

Since moving to the Twin Cities in 2021, Catherine has explored vegetarian and vegan organizations, eventually coming upon Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA). Discovering that her values match with CAA’s, she has gone on to participate in our events and campaigns. This year, she volunteered to use her social media skills on behalf of Twin Cities Veg Fest. 

Catherine’s Compassionate Food Journey

Catherine’s journey towards plant-based living began in 2009 when she became a vegetarian, and by 2023, she fully transitioned to a vegan diet. The abundance of vegan options in the Twin Cities helped her make the switch. When asked about her favorite restaurants she told us “I enjoyed everything I have eaten at J. Selby’s, Trio, Pizza Lucé and Reverie.”

Her love for cooking and baking fuels her creativity, often inspiring her to veganize comfort foods like pies, casseroles, and ice cream — many of which she shares on her blog.

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