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The 2017 Kenny Feldman Animal Advocate Award Goes to…

We’re pleased to announce the winner of the 2017 Kenny Feldman Animal Advocate Award.

We’ve created this award to recognize a person, organization, or business in our community whose amazing work is pushing the ball forward for animals. This year, we’re giving the award to Christine Coughlin, Minnesota State Director of the Humane Society of the United States.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Christine has been active in the field of animal protection since 2002, with a focus on grassroots legislative campaigns and electoral advocacy. Christine has served on animal welfare policy task forces for the City of Minneapolis, initiated the biannual publication of Minnesota’s Humane Scorecard, and founded Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection, serving as president and executive director until 2014.

Christine’s legislative experience includes working with allies to pass state and local legislation. Her accomplishments include:

  • The Dog & Cat Breeder Regulation Law & Beagle Freedom Law (2014)
  • Making possession of animal fighting paraphernalia a crime (2010)
  • Defeating a pro-horse slaughter resolution (2009)
  • The ordinance to protect community cats in Minneapolis (2014)
  • A ban on recreational and commercial trapping in the City of White Bear Lake (2014)
  • Prohibition on the pet store sale of dogs and cats from puppy and kitten mills in Roseville (2017)
  • A ban on the use of bullhooks on circus elephants in Minneapolis (2016)

CAA will present Christine with the award at Twin Cities Veg Fest 2017 on September 9 at Como Park. The award presentation will take place at 2:15pm under the big tent just before the panel discussion on farm sanctuaries.

This award honors the memory of animal lover Kenny Feldman. He thought animals were to be cared for and allowed to a live a life with freedom. Kenny was a close friend of Compassionate Action for Animals co-founder and first Executive Director, Unny Nambudiripad. He inspired Unny to become an activist. Sadly, we lost Kenny to suicide 18 years ago. From that tragic loss, we were moved to establish this annual award to acknowledge the contributions of individuals who strive to create a more compassionate world.

The Feldman family wants to thank CAA, Unny Nambudiripad, and current Executive Director Laura Matanah for helping preserve Kenny’s memory and continuing his legacy of being an animal lover and activist in animal rights campaigns. To find out more about Kenny, visit the Remembering Kenny Feldman Facebook page.

 

2017 Twin Cities Veggie Awards – Winners Announced!

CAA strives to make going vegan as easy and accessible as possible so that we can help as many animals as possible. With that in mind, we started the Twin Cities Veggie Awards in 2016 to acknowledge the most outstanding vegan businesses in the Twin Cities area. (See last year’s winners here.)

Of course, we want you to know about each of these outstanding businesses so that you can benefit from what they have to offer. We also want to help these businesses thrive and to encourage other businesses to be more veg-friendly. Ultimately, we want to help create a community in which vegan options abound, where plant-based living is a more realistic option for everyone.

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Vegan Food Justice: One Person Can Make a Difference

For those of us who’ve been vegan for a long time, it can be tempting to say “going vegan is easy,” suggesting that our passion for animal liberation should override all personal discomfort and that the choice should be obvious for everyone. But truly, transitioning to a plant-based diet is not simple for many, especially for those who don’t have access to wholesome plant-based foods.

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CAA Strategic Planning Report – Part 1

Photo of a person lovingly holding a chicken

CAA’s strategic planning is currently underway. So far, the process has had three components: an online survey, two town hall meetings, and a strategic planning meeting. Here’s more information about each segment.

Online Survey

The process began in March of 2017 with a survey sent via email to all of CAA’s contacts, including event participants, volunteers, and donors. We welcomed input, asking the primary question: What are the key problems that CAA should be addressing through its work?

Forty-five people responded to the survey and offered their individual perspectives. The results were reviewed, and the most common input was collected and categorized for future consideration as part of the strategic planning process.

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The 2017 Annual Banquet in Pictures!

Thanks to all who joined us last Saturday for the 2017 Annual Banquet! On this gorgeous spring evening at the Wellstone Center in St. Paul, we gathered with the compassionate community to celebrate CAA’s nineteen years of advocating for animals in the Twin Cities region.

With a sold-out crowd of nearly a hundred in attendance, we enjoyed a reception, silent auction, and gourmet vegan dinner. Throughout the evening, more than $9,000 was raised to support CAA programs that help to make the world a kinder place for animals. That’s the most money ever raised at a CAA banquet! We can’t thank you enough for your partnership.

The meal included meat-free meats and cheese-free cheeses generously provided by our event sponsor, The Herbivorous Butcher. Many CAA volunteers contributed to preparing and serving the delicious food, which had a Jewish and Middle Eastern theme. We are very grateful to them and also to the many volunteers who helped to plan and execute this big event. (We could not have done it without you!)

Mistress Ginger, emcee for the evening, added humor and heart to the festivities, while special presenters included Kara Breci of SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary as well as CAA volunteer Dyne Stephenson and Executive Director Laura Matanah. Their powerful stories reminded us of why we do what we do and inspired us to continue to embrace our compassion as we move forward and expand our reach.

We are very grateful to all of you who support CAA through your volunteerism, event participation, and donations. If you were unable to attend the banquet and would like to make a one-time donation, or sign up to be a recurring donor, please visit our donate page and give today.

We hope you enjoy this photo slideshow featuring moments from the banquet. Please visit our events page to see what we’ve got coming up in the near future and how you can be involved.

J. Selby’s Brings Vegan Food to St. Paul!

We know that convenience and accessibility are two of the major factors that play into whether people feel empowered to move toward a plant-based diet, and so nothing makes us happier than to see more vegan-friendly restaurants opening up. Then when you have an all-vegan spot opening up in an area where few other veg options exist, we’re just ecstatic.

We’ve been jumping for joy ever since Matt Clayton announced his plans to open J. Selby’s in St. Paul, near the corner of Victoria Street and Selby Avenue. And now, after months of preparation, they’re opening their doors on Monday, April 17, just in time for VegWeek.

How did J. Selby’s come to be?

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What’s Virtual Reality Outreach?

CAA has a new outreach method. Using virtual reality technology, we’re giving people a more powerful experience of their own compassion.

Previously, our essential outreach techniques included leafleting, pay-per-view, and vegan food giveaways. Leafleting and pay-per-view have been effective ways of reaching lots of people and teaching them about the inherent cruelty involved in animal agriculture. The food giveaways give them a taste of the delicious plant-based food options that can replace the animal foods in their diets.

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Twin Cities VegWeek 2017: Take the VegPledge!

VegWeek begins April 17! We hope you’ll step up for the animals and take the VegPledge. Here’s how:

  • If you’re omnivore, pledge to try eating vegetarian or vegan for the week of April 17.
  • If you’re vegetarian, pledge to try eating vegan for the week of April 17.
  • If you’re vegan, pledge to spread the word in one or more of these ways:
    • Invite friends to take the VegPledge using the Facebook event page.
    • Share information about the benefits of eating plant-based on your social media platforms.
    • Bring a couple friends to one of our VegWeek activities (listed below!).

Click here to take the pledge!

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Wednesday, January 1, 2025 - Friday, February 28, 2025

Volunteer from Home: Write Postcards to Target Cruelty

Thursday, January 2, 2025

West Suburbs Vegan Potluck

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