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.

CAA is happy to welcome Jennifer Swick to our Board of Directors. Let’s get to know her!

Jennifer first became aware of the issues with animal agriculture about fifteen years ago at the Living Green Expo. A group there was doing pay-per-view outreach, showing people how animals suffer on factory farms. Jennifer describes it as one of those life-changing moments, when you’re introduced to a whole new reality that you didn’t know existed. “Oh, this is the world I’m living in!”

That intense awakening planted a seed of awareness that continued to grow in the years that followed. Then about four years ago, Jennifer became friends with a bona fide vegan. She had never before known a vegan personally, but in knowing one got to see how easy and doable it is to eat only plant-based foods. Pretty soon, she was taking action for animals: cutting animal products out of her diet and getting involved with CAA as a volunteer.

Her first activities with CAA were leafleting and pay-per-view outreach. Pay-per-view has a special place in her heart since since it’s what originally opened her eyes to this cause. She also keeps the Roseville library stocked with vegetarian starter kits. Apparently, they go like hotcakes there!

Her favorite volunteer activity has been helping out with Bridges of Respect, CAA’s humane education program. She started by assisting with presentations and now leads them. The program is a good match for her background in education, since she served for ten years as the education director at a large church in Minnetonka.

For the past seven years, Jennifer has worked at People Serving People, helping families experiencing homelessness. You might wonder, how has working with these families influenced Jennifer’s approach to vegan advocacy?

Jennifer says that when someone in a crisis mode, lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter, it’s not the right time to contemplate making big life changes. Instead, she advises that if we want to engage with economically disadvantaged populations, the focus should be on making fresh fruits and veggies available. For instance, it’s a really positive development that farmer’s markets now accept EBT cards.

This is a very important perspective to consider if we want to engage diverse communities through our work, and we’re especially grateful to have someone with specialized experience in this area joining the board.

And what excites Jennifer most about being on the board? The people. She’s found the leadership at CAA to be very inspiring, and being a part of the team is good way to continue to learn from others. Also, she likes thinking about the big picture, and being on the board gives an opportunity to help shape the future of the organization. Plus, it’s an especially exciting time to get involved with the executive director transition happening in December.

Along with all of the amazing work Jennifer does for animals and for people, she loves tennis, ultimate frisbee, biking, and reading. She’s a big fan of Trader Joe’s Three Layer Hummus and will happily order the mock sesame chicken from Evergreen Chinese Restaurant.

Jennifer says she grateful to be a part of CAA and that this community is really a gift. Well, we feel the same about having her on board, sharing her many gifts with all of us and for the animals.

Do you live on or near the campus of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cites? Are you wondering where you can find vegan food in the area that tastes good and won’t break the bank? Whether you’re looking for full meals or quick snacks, look no further!

This list was compiled by some of our very own student volunteers who live on or near campus. Their recommendations come from their firsthand experience dining at these vegan-friendly spots.

When your hunger kicks in, give one of these places a whirl, and be sure to thank the restaurant managers for having awesome vegan options!

Stadium Village

• Blaze Pizza
  • 1000 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Delicious pizza! You can get a personal pizza for only eight dollars with all the toppings you want, and they have Daiya nondairy cheese. The pizza cooks super fast—delivering instant gratification!
• Bruegger’s Bagels
  • 720 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • There are many vegan bagels here, such as the olive oil rosemary, which is delicious. They have hummus as a topping and also sell it in tubs—perfect if you’re getting a dozen bagels to go. They also sometimes have a vegan soup option.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • 800 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Great cheap burritos! The Sofritas option is spicy tofu filling, but the guacamole does not come free, unlike the regular veggie bean burrito. You can also add roasted veggies.
• French Meadow Bakery & Café
  • 123 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, lower level
  • There are a few vegan options, including some baked goods.
• Jimmy John’s
  • 219 SE Oak St, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Try the Vegetarian Unwich without cheese and mayo. The avocado spread is great.
• Kitty Corner Cafe
  • 806 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Vegan waffles. Need we say more?
• Mesa Pizza Stadium Village
  • 921 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • They have a veggie pizza you can get without cheese. They have by-the-slice pizza prepared. Sometimes they don’t have the cheeseless veggie pizza as one of those options, but you could always ask.
• Noodles & Company
  • 820 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • A few of their vegan menu items include the Indonesian Peanut Saute, the Japanese Pan Noodles, and the Pasta Fresca without cheese. There’s lots to choose from here!
• Yogurt Lab
  • 309 SE Oak St, Minneapolis, MN 55455
  • There are some dairy-free sorbets with many vegan toppings available.

Dinkytown

• Bordertown Coffee
  • 315 16th Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Delicious vegan baked goods and good coffee with nondairy milk! Most options are available in the morning before the usual coffee rush that happens before and between classes. In other words, get there early if you want the most selection!
• Burrito Loco
  • 418 13th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • They have a bunch of vegan options, excellent salsas, and their beans aren’t made with lard, as they are in many other local Mexican restaurants.
• Camdi Restaurant
  • 1325 4th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Check out the vegetarian menu and make sure to ask if there is fish sauce in what you order.
• Himalayan Dinkytown
  • 1415 4th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • They offer amazing veggie dishes over rice or in wraps, and the sauces are divine. You can also choose to add fresh uncooked veggies, and they also offer salads like their pickle salad and tabouli. Favorites includes chana masala, falafel sandwiches, and pyazi, which are veggies fried in dough.
• Insomnia Cookies
  • 402 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • There is a vegan chocolate chip cookie option. Be sure to specify that you want the vegan one!
• Jimmy John’s
  • 404 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Try the Vegetarian Unwich without cheese and mayo. The avocado spread is great!
• Mesa Pizza Dinkytown
  • 1323 4th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • They have a veggie pizza you can get without cheese. They have by-the-slice pizza prepared. Sometimes they don’t have the cheeseless veggie pizza as one of those options, but you could always ask.
• One Two Three Sushi
  • 318 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Lots of veggie options!
• Qdoba Mexican Eats
  • 324 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • Burritos, tacos, and naked burritos! It’s like Chipotle but without the Sofritas.
• Sssdude-Nuts
  • 317 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • They’ve got one vegan donut option, just in case you need a donut!
• Wally’s Falafel & Hummus
  • 423 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
  • They have amazing falafel, and for the falafel sandwiches, you have the option to add pickles! Try the deluxe falafel sandwich that has french fries in it. Also, the baba ghanoush, hummus and pita, and tabouli are all very good.

West Bank

• Afro Deli
  • 1931 S 5th St, Minneapolis, MN 55454
  • Lots of good stuff! Try the falafel and falafel sandwiches but make sure to order without yogurt sauce and other dairy ingredients. Also, the sambusas, french fries, sweet potato fries, Somali tea, vegetarian platter, and veggie keke are fantastic.
• Hard Times Cafe
  • 1821 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454
  • Everything is vegetarian, and the vegan items are clearly marked and the staff is knowledgeable. The vegan biscuits and gravy are very popular. Also, their vegan baked goods are out of this world. Sometimes, they’ve got vegan donuts and decadent cupcakes, and often they’ve got huge muffins (like a meal in itself) for just $2.50.
• Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant
  • 320 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454
  • Get the vegetarian platter or one of the components of the vegetarian platter.
• Republic
  • 221 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454
  • You’re in good hands with mock duck and quinoa on the menu!
• Triple Rock Social Club
  • 629 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454
  • Comfort food central with a very vegan-friendly menu. They have amazing tater tots, vegan Chicago dog, and po’boy. It’s a great place for brunch, with options including vegan pancakes, french toast, and tofu scramble. Appetizers are discounted during happy hour!
• The Wienery
  • 414 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454
  • Vegan hot dogs! (The hours are weird, so plan ahead for that.)

St. Paul

• Gopher Spot (St. Paul Student Center)
  • University of Minnesota, 2017 Buford Ave, St Paul, MN 55108
  • A good spot to get snacks between classes! They offer Alternative Baking Company cookies, Holy Land hummus and pita, and Amy’s nondairy burritos. They currently have a vegan hotdog on very specific days, but that may change—as the staff for details!
• Mim’s Cafe
  • 1435 Cleveland Ave N, St Paul, MN 55108
  • Vegan options include falafel, hummus and pita, baba ghanoush, and fries. You can also get a veggie burrito, but just make sure to ask for no cheese or sour cream.

Thanks to all of our student volunteers who contributed to this article with their recommendations!

And of course one place to find lots of vegan food on campus will be Twin Cities Veg Fest on October 29 and 30, 2016 at Coffman Memorial Union. The event is free to attend, and there will be lots of free vegan food samples as well as larger meals available for purchase. Join us there!

The Minnesota State Fair is a local tradition for many. This annual festival is known for its decadent foods, usually deep-fried and served on a stick. Most of these foods are known not to be vegan, for example: cheese curds, deep-fried Twinkies, and corn dogs.

For those of us who choose to only eat plant-based foods, what can we do? Do we avoid the fair altogether? No way! If the fair is something you enjoy, you can still enjoy it, finding plenty of awesome vegan offerings to satisfy your hunger along the way. And yes, some of these vegan offerings are even served deep-fried and on a stick.

A couple years ago, we published a guide to vegan food at the fair. You can check that out, as much of it still applies, but this year we put out a call to all of our volunteers going to the fair and asked them to let us know what they could find. We got a number of beautiful photos and fun descriptions that we’ll share with you here. Take a look at the photo collage, read the descriptions, and bring this list with you when you go to the fair in the next few days.

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Our fundraiser for Twin Cities Veg Fest has made fantastic strides in the last few days, and we’ve just surpassed our original goal of $4,500! Including contributions made by check through the mail, our grand total is now at $5,553. Wow! Huge thanks to all of our supporters for your generosity.

In case you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time to give! Please help us reach our stretch goal of $6,000 by August 31. While $6,000 might sound like a lot of money for the festival, it’s just a fraction of what it costs to put on an event like this, especially now that we are expanding it to two days.

With your support, this year’s Twin Cities Veg Fest can reach more people and show them how a compassionate life can be fun, uplifting, and most certainly delicious. Please give today!

As you may have heard, after five years of dedicated service, Unny Nambudiripad is moving on from his post as executive director at Compassionate Action for Animals. We wish him well on his continuing journey and look forward to appointing a highly qualified individual who can carry on this important position, overseeing all facets of our organization and providing inspiring and effective leadership.

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