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Hands-on Learning and Helping: Interns Assist CAA While Gaining Valuable Experience
August 26, 2024
We were fortunate to have another pair of outstanding summer interns this year! Tasniin and Treyanna, both sophomores in high school, joined us through the Step Up program for a two-month internship that began in June. While with us, they provided valuable assistance with outreach events and administrative tasks.
About Tasniin
Tasniin is a student at STEP Academy with a passion for learning and growth. Her favorite food is pasta. Tasniin is also a big fan of cats.
Eager to gain work experience and understand the value of earning and managing money, Tasniin chose to spend her summer volunteering with CAA. She sees this opportunity as a crucial step in building a solid foundation for her future, both personally and professionally. Through her internship, Tasniin is preparing herself for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
About Treyanna
Treyanna grew up in a large family with three sisters, five brothers, and a niece she absolutely adores. She loves activities that keep her active and connected to nature. The idea of a traditional 9-to-5 desk job doesn’t appeal to her. Instead, she thrives in hands-on roles, especially those that let her work directly with animals.
How Tasniin and Treyanna Helped CAA
CAA was thrilled to have the support of Treyanna and Tasniin during the busy summer months. They were a tremendous help in staffing outreach tables at various summer events. A focus of their work was on issues related to food deserts and animal rights.
Twin Cities Veg Fest: A Celebration of Plant-Based Living on September 22
August 26, 2024
Get ready for an exciting day of delicious food, inspiring talks, and family-friendly fun at the 2024 Twin Cities Veg Fest! Join us on September 22 from 10 am to 4 pm at Harriet Island Park for the best Veg Fest yet, with something for everyone — whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just curious about plant-based living.
Tabitha Brown, an author and celebrity, attended last year’s festival and called it, “A beautiful day full of love, compassion, and delicious food.” Over 5,000 people (representing all types of diets) come each year for the food, music, fun, and inspiration. Compassionate Action for Animals is proud to have organized this popular, free festival for the past 12 years. Check out this link to see images from last year’s festival.
A Food Lover’s Paradise
With over 25 food trucks and food vendors, the festival offers an incredible array of plant-based dishes. From savory snacks to sweet treats, there’s something to satisfy every craving.
In addition to the food trucks, there will be various opportunities to sample free vegan food around the festival. Be sure to grab a free sample of The Herbivorous Butcher’s famous beef sticks while supplies last. Plus, the first 100 attendees will receive free swag bags filled with goodies from festival sponsors.
Young philanthropists Scout and Bryn use chore money to support Twin Cities Veg Fest!
August 19, 2024
Scout and Bryn Gavin from Chanhassen recently made a donation to Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA). What makes their gift even more special is the story behind it.
These two young people set aside some of the money they earned from chores and other activities for charity. They spent time researching local charities and decided to give their donation of $75 each to CAA. This decision shows their dedication to making a positive difference, even at a young age.
Earlier this month, Scout, Bryn, and their dad, Patrick, visited the CAA office in person to deliver their donation. They wanted to do more than just send money — they wanted to learn more about CAA’s mission and connect with the organization they chose to support. During their visit, they met with Laura Matanah, the Executive Director of CAA, who explained our work and why compassionate living is so important.
Twin Cities Plant-Based Bike Crawl Sparks Excitement and Fundraising for Twin Cities Veg Fest
August 12, 2024
On July 28, over 50 participants joined Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) for the second Twin Cities Plant-Based Bike Crawl. They enjoyed a fun-filled day of biking, vegan eating, and partying around Minneapolis. It was a fantastic way to launch the fundraising campaign for Twin Cities Veg Fest.
The Rolling Dine-Out Experience
The Bike Crawl was designed for riders of all skill levels and offered two route options. Both routes took cyclists through the beautiful, tree-lined streets of Minneapolis, with stops for delicious vegan fare at Reverie Cafe + Bar and Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken. Those on the 30-mile route also sampled food from Francis Burger Joint, while the 11.3-mile riders enjoyed a cookie from Trio Plant-Based. VIP riders received a custom CAA Aero Tech bike jersey, along with other perks.
The After-Party for All
The day wrapped up with an After-Party at Reverie Cafe + Bar, where riders were joined by friends and CAA supporters to celebrate. The event featured live music, food, drinks, games, and a variety of vegan vendors. Many folks who did not participate in the Bike Crawl came just for the After-Party to enjoy all the fun, as well as the delicious brunch menu at Reverie.
The fun included games like Ping Pong Ball Toss and Rubber Duck Pond, both of which were fundraisers for Twin Cities Veg Fest. Many party-goers tried their luck at these fun, carnival-style games.
Leave a Legacy for Animals
After you’re gone, what kind of legacy do you want to leave? A powerful way to put your values into action is by creating a will. Making a will enables you to also provide for companion animals and/or plan for the care of your digital assets, such as social media accounts.
Connecting Values With Action: Faustine Micheyl’s CAA Volunteer Experience
July 22, 2024
Faustine Micheyl is relatively new to volunteering with Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA). She began this past winter with the Handwrite Hope for Animals postcard mailing campaign and recently joined the planning committee for Twin Cities Veg Fest.
How she got connected to CAA
Faustine discovered CAA through social media and decided to get involved due to her passion for helping animals, humans, and the earth.
Her volunteer roles
Currently, Faustine serves as the social media coordinator on the planning committee for Twin Cities Veg Fest and is busy helping to plan all the great social media content for the upcoming festival. Check out @tcvegfest on Instagram and you might see one of the many fun and eye-catching reels created by Faustine that highlight various aspects of the festival. Her creativity helps us spread awareness of the festival and build excitement for attendees.
Make Ahead Meals | Vegan Recipe Club | August 2024
Join us on August 20 from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm for this month’s online Vegan Recipe Club meeting. The cookbook for the month is The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook (2015) by Ginny Kay McMeans.
If you are curious about vegan cooking, this club is for you! Each month, participants make three recipes from popular cookbooks then share their reflections with the group. Novice to expert cooks are welcome, as are interested non-cooks. Registration not required.
Download the recipes for this month.
About The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook
The publisher describes the book as follows:
“A plant-based diet that is as satisfying as Mom’s home cooking. Vegan food with down-home appeal is the sort of vegan food Americans want to eat. Sit down to a dinner that looks and tastes great, but just happens to be completely plant-based so it’s also good for you. That’s how Ginny McMeans cooks, and here she shares 125 of her favorite recipes. Every recipe can also be made-ahead and frozen for later, as these meals are designed for the busy person. This is delicious, homemade, everyday food that you can cook fresh on a whim or pull from your freezer for a quick healthy supper.”
Join the After-Party at the second Twin Cities Plant-Based Bike Crawl
July 8, 2024
Celebrate with us at the second Twin Cities Plant-Based Bike Crawl After-Party on Sunday, July 28, from 1 pm to 3 pm at Reverie Cafe + Bar. This lively event, hosted by Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA), will feature music, food, drinks, games, and local vegan vendors. Whether or not you participated in the bike crawl, everyone is welcome to join the festivities a the After-Party!
New Beginnings: Marmaduke and Tinker at Spring Farm Sanctuary
July 8, 2024
Spring Farm Sanctuary is delighted to welcome two of their newest residents, Marmaduke and Tinker. Despite the recent trauma from losing their previous caring home, these two charming pigs have landed in a new safe and nurturing place.
Their Journey to Spring Farm Sanctuary
Marmaduke and Tinker spent the first six years of their lives in a loving home in Wisconsin, where they were treated as cherished members of the family. Raised since they were just eight weeks old, they enjoyed a life full of affection and care. However, a tragic accident changed everything. This past March, their “dad” suffered a freak accident, resulting in paralysis that left him unable to care for them. Friends of the family reached out to Spring Farm Sanctuary to see if they would take them in. They knew this would ensure that the pigs would be well cared for. Spring Farm was glad to take them in.
A Vegan Evening at Owamni Grows CAA’s Impact for Animals
June 27, 2024
On Saturday June 22, forty-six people enjoyed a delicious meal, connecting with fellow animal advocates, and moving CAA’s work for animals forward during A Vegan Evening at Owamni. A description of the evening and photo slideshow are below.
Food, Community, and Presentations
The evening featured a four-course menu of Indigenous food from the award-winning restaurant along with a presentation on Owamni’s mission and each of the dishes from restaurant staff. Guests had a wonderful time visiting with each other while enjoying family-style dining.
There was also a presentation about the impact of CAA’s work for Minnesota’s farmed animals from treasurer and volunteer Hannah Milos as well as executive director Laura Matanah. Hannah and Laura’s presentations emphasized the critical role of volunteers and donors in helping us reach our goal of inviting one million Minnesotans to take action for animals by 2027.