Last Sunday, CAA hosted a Donor Appreciation Party to say thanks to the many individuals who support the work we do for farmed animals. Their contributions make it possible for us to offer CAA’s many programs, events, and activities throughout the year.

More than fifty donors were able to join us for this afternoon soirée at the Kellogg Building, home of donor and host Andrew Tasi, in St. Paul. (Thanks Andrew!) In a room overlooking the city, guests were treated to an array of scrumptious vegan hors d’oeuvres, as well as wine and other beverages.

Executive Director Laura Matanah said a few words of thanks and invited attendees to join us for our upcoming Town Hall Meetings and our Annual Banquet. She reminded us that our work at CAA is ultimately about improving the lives of farmed animals and that one of the ways we can take action on their behalf is through our financial support.

If you’re inspired by the work we do at CAA, please visit our donate page and make a one-time donation or sign up to be a monthly contributor. Every dollar you give helps to make the world a kinder, more compassionate world for all beings. Thank you for your support!

The 2017 issue of Twin Cities Veg Living has been published! This is the third edition of our annual 12-page magazine that’s used for outreach purposes–to encourage people to embrace their empathy and move toward a plant-based diet.

Print copies of the magazine are available at CAA Community Space and will be distributed for free at CAA events throughout the year. You can also view the magazine online in PDF.  Or check out this flipbook version.

This year’s edition has a variety of engaging articles and images. Here’s what you’ll find:

• An introductory letter from our new executive director, Laura Matanah
• A guide to eating a plant-based diet on a tight budget
• An article about the animals at SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary
• A recipe from The Herbivorous Butcher
• An article about Paula and Nathan Huerkamp, CAA volunteers
• A guide to the best vegan baked goods in the Twin Cities
• An article about two local vegan restaurants, J. Selby’s and Reverie Cafe + Bar

As Communications Coordinator for CAA, I served as editor for the magazine and had the privilege to work with a number of individuals who contributed to the process in a variety of ways.

We are very thankful to all of these volunteers for generously sharing their time and their talents in the creation of the magazine:

• Caleb Blodgett
• Nathan Heurkamp
• Paula Heurkamp
• Lola Levin
• Juliana Lillehei
• Yash Patel
• Linda Pope
• Brooke Reynolds
• Dave Rolsky
• Shelby Schouweiler
• Isabelle Welp

Also, many thanks to these businesses and organizations for supplying content:

• Captured by Brooke
• French Meadow Bakery & Cafe
• Glam Doll Donuts
• The Herbivorous Butcher
• J. Selby’s
• Reverie Cafe + Bar
• SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary

At these vegan-friendly establishments, we had a number of contacts who were especially helpful. Here’s a shout-out of gratitude to each of them: Amanda Bergeron-Manzone, Kara Jean Breci, Matt Clayton, Casey Muir-Taylor, Brooke Reynolds, Jeffrey Therkelsen, Laura VanZandt, and Kirstin Weigmann.

Also, we’d like to thank our graphic designer, Stephen Magner, for his work designing the layout not only for the magazine but also for our recently published 2016 Annual Report.

We hope that this magazine provides enjoyment and inspiration for whomever finds it, ultimately making the world a kinder, more compassionate place through our everyday choices.

Correction: Please note that on page four of the printed magazine, J. Selby’s address is misprinted. It is located in St. Paul, not Minneapolis. We encourage our Twin Cities community to support J. Selby’s. Please stay tuned to their website and Facebook page to get updates on when they will open.

What did Compassionate Action for Animals accomplish in 2016? Check out our 2016 Annual Report and read all about it.

The annual report gives you the scoop on all of our 2016 programs, events, activities, and their impact. Through a combination of outreach, education, and community building we honor our mission to encourage people to embrace their empathy and move toward a plant-based diet. The annual report also includes a financial statement, showing our income and expenses for the year, as well as acknowledgement to all of our top donors.

Thanks to all of you who support our work through your donations, volunteerism, and event participation. We truly could not do so much without our community of dedicated animal advocates.

We hope you will stay involved and increase your participation in 2017 and beyond. Our movement is making tremendous progress, but there’s much further to go. The animals need us to raise our voices and do what we can so that their stories are heard. Together, let’s continue to grow our movement and live our compassion.

Our board of directors has recently added a new member, and what a boon for CAA! Chris Homsey is a dedicated animal advocate who has volunteered for CAA since 2013. Over the past few years, she’s taken on a number of leadership roles with the organization, and with each position she’s demonstrated professionalism, intelligence, and kindness. Let’s get to know her better here.

Chris is no stranger to animal agriculture. She grew up on a crop farm in southern Minnesota, and the nearby neighbors had dairy cows and raised pigs for meat. Knowing the pigs would become food, Chris says she stayed detached, distancing herself from them as individuals. Then, later in life, after moving away to the Twin Cities, she caught a bit of a slaughterhouse exposé on TV. Seeing the grisly reality of factory farming, she decided in that moment never to eat meat again. Being a food scientist who had worked in product development, she was familiar with the idea of vegetarianism, though veganism still seemed extreme to her.

She maintained a vegetarian diet for many years, and her transition to veganism began after visiting Farm Sanctuary in New York and meeting the rescued animals in person. Then, after attending a conference about factory farming in 2011 (and being impressed with the all-vegan menu served during the conference weekend), she made the final switch, cutting cheese and ice cream from her diet—those things that were the hardest for her to give up.

In 2013, Chris dove head first into volunteering for CAA; her first volunteer position was cooking demo coordinator for Twin Cities Veg Fest. What a job! But as a food scientist, she was familiar with project management and working with food, so it wasn’t such a stretch for her skill set.

And now after a few years of being a committed volunteer and donor, she’s joining the board of directors. Why? “I like the idea of having input in CAA and its direction. It’s a great organization and I like the philosophy of gently encouraging people to move toward a veg lifestyle.”

Chris values the way CAA creates a sense of community, especially with recidivism being such an issue. She says, “I didn’t have a lot of vegans in my life, so just to feel supported and not alone was so important.”

Chris is also hopeful for our movement, just looking at how mainstream plant-based milks are becoming. And cheese substitutes are getting better and better, though she says there’s still room for improvement. “Food science will get us there!” Coming from a food scientist, that sounds especially promising.

Interested in becoming a member of our board of directors? For more information, contact Laura Matanah at [email protected].

Our 8th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off was a huge success! According to our survey, ninety-four percent of people left wanting to try more plant-based food. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out in various ways, the cook-off contestants with their delicious chili recipes, and everyone who attended to enjoy the food, the competition, and the community. Get a glimpse of the fun in the slideshow below!

Also, we’re pleased to share the recipes for the two winning chili dishes:

• Chicknotchili by Patrick and Ross
• Julie’s Bean-Based Chili

Our next big event is the 2017 Annual Banquet. We hope you’ll join us for that. Get your tickets soon!

CAA 2017 chili 24

CAA 2017 chili 22

CAA 2017 chili 15

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CAA 2017 chili 7

CAA 2017 chili 12

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CAA 2017 chili 6

CAA 2017 chili 3

CAA 2017 chili 4

Just a couple weeks ago, Compassionate Action for Animals announced that a new executive director had been selected. Laura Matanah will begin working with CAA in December with a one-month training period alongside Unny Nambudiripad, the current executive director.

Unny announced last July that he would be stepping down from the position in January 2017, and since then our hiring committee has been devoted to finding the right person to take his place, someone with a combination of nonprofit leadership experience, fundraising know-how, and good people skills. Plus, this person would have to have an outstanding passion for animal advocacy and an understanding of our diverse Twin Cities community. We are delighted to have found in Laura Matanah a candidate who captures all of these qualities and more.

Perhaps you’ve seen Laura at some of our CAA events over the past few years. She and her wife Sarah have been active members of the community, attending dine outs, potlucks, and our annual banquet. Laura also has experience volunteering with CAA’s pay-per-view outreach, sharing our message of compassion for animals with members of the general public. Her motivation to apply for the position was based on the impact CAA’s work had on her. She says, “CAA’s incremental approach is what enabled me to fully acknowledge the depth of farmed animal suffering and become a committed vegan. CAA also led me to become an animal advocate in my personal life.”

The majority of Laura’s nonprofit experience comes from her tenure as executive director for Rainbow Rumpus, an organization that began as a small group of volunteers who wanted to create great stories for kids from LGBT-headed homes and grew to be the primary publisher of LGBT family fiction worldwide, run by a combination of paid staff and volunteers.

To achieve this remarkable growth over a period of eight years, Laura recruited, trained, and inspired volunteers; worked with the board to create and implement individual donor fundraising plans; and ensured the organization consistently achieved its program goals. She worked with board and staff members to expand their impact by developing strategic plans, logic models, and systems for evaluation; built and maintained relationships with institutional partners; managed finances; and supervised staff.

In addition to this extensive nonprofit experience, Laura also has experience as an elementary teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Of special note, during her time at Pratt School, Laura was a member of the Instructional Leadership Team, which provided vision and support for high-quality instruction through a racial equity lens. She played a key role in initiating a program to begin centralizing the voices of families of color at the school and in leading professional development to help teachers address their own unconscious bias.

And now what does Laura envision for CAA? We’ll let her tell you in her own words:

We are excited to welcome Laura to the team. Her genuine warmth, collaborative spirit, and passion for the movement are the ideal ingredients for the future success of CAA.

So what does Laura do when she’s not advocating for animals?

Laura will be at our 14th Annual Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck on November 19. You can meet her there and at the same time join in our annual celebration of gratitude.