What are we talking about? Virtual reality?
Yes, virtual reality. And I’m super excited about it. We’re using this new technology as a new way to get others to embrace their empathy for farmed animals.
Using special headgear, participants get a 360-degree view (with audio!) of what a pig experiences on a factory farm. Of course, it’s powerful. And for those who were previously unaware, it’s vital information, getting to see firsthand where our food comes from.
Read our latest blog post to learn more about this exciting new venture for CAA. It’s sure to help us in our mission to grow our community of dedicated animal advocates.
We’ll be using the equipment for the first time next week, during VegWeek. Speaking of, have you signed up to take the VegPledge for VegWeek yet? If not, then what are you waiting for?! The moment you sign up, you get access to all sort of special discounts and vegan recipes. Plus, there’s a chance to win prizes!
Sign up here and then RSVP to our Twin Cities VegPledge Facebook event page, where we’re posting lots of resources to help you on your path to plant-based eating during the week of April 17. Even if you’re already vegan, you can participate through inviting your friends to take the pledge. Go for it!
VegWeek culminates with our Annual Banquet on Saturday the 22nd. Get your tickets for that and join us for a fantastic evening that includes gourmet vegan food and lots more!
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
April is a big month for CAA. We’ve got some very special events on the calendar, and we’d love to have your participation.
You might notice that we’re not offering a potluck or dine out this month. That’s because we want you to prioritize coming to these:
Lastly, for all of our events, you’re invited to bring your omnivore friends and family. We try to be a welcoming community, and our movement will only grow if we keep inviting others to take part. Any of our VegWeek activities (listed below) would offer an excellent introduction to compassionate living.
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
April Events
- Town Hall Meetings
- Virtual Reality Volunteer Orientation
- Saturday, April 8, 9:00 – 9:45am
- CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Avenue South, Minneapolis
- Learn how to use our new virtual reality pay-per-view equipment.
- To RSVP, email Laura Matanah at laura@exploreveg.org.
- MeatLess Book Talk and Outreach
- Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 – 10:30pm
- Common Good Books, 38 Snelling Avenue, St. Paul
- Kristie Middleton, senior food policy director for The Humane Society of the United States, talks about her new book MeatLess. She’ll also share inspirational stories, tips, and tricks, and she’ll answer your questions.
- RSVP to the Facebook event page.
- VegWeek Vegan Food Showcase
- Monday, April 17, 7:00am – 5:00pm
- University of Minnesota, East Bank
- We’re kicking off VegWeek with a fun vegan food giveaway. Help us with this very effective form of outreach, showing people how delicious vegan food can be. A variety of volunteer positions are available, including setup, food service, leafleting, photography, and cleanup.
- If you’re interested in volunteering for this VegWeek event, please contact Laura Matanah at [email protected].
- Bridges of Respect: Vegan Food Giveaway
- Wednesday, April 19 – Thursday, April 20, 8:50 – 10:45am
- Century College
- Help share vegan food samples for about thirty students during a classroom presentation.
- For more information or if you would like to volunteer, email Shannon Kimball at [email protected].
- VegWeek Virtual Reality Outreach
- Tuesday, April 18, 9:30am – 4:30pm
- University of Minnesota, plaza in front of Coffman Memorial Union
- If you’d like to help with this event, you’ll need to get training for it at our Virtual Reality Volunteer Orientation on Saturday, April 8 at 9am.
- If you’re interested in volunteering for this VegWeek event, please contact Laura Matanah at [email protected].
- VegWeek Film Screening – Vegucated: The Movie
- Thursday, April 20, 5:30 – 7:45pm
- Coffman Theater, 300 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis
- To RSVP, email Laura Matanah at [email protected].
- 2017 Annual Banquet
- Saturday, April 22, 5:30 – 9:00pm
- The Wellstone Center St. Paul
- Join the compassionate community as we celebrate CAA’s nineteen years of advocating for animals. The evening includes a reception, gourmet dinner, silent auction, and special presentation.
- Reserve your tickets today!
We want to hear from you! Please join us at one of our upcoming Town Hall Meetings and let’s talk about the work we do at CAA. How can we be more effective in our mission to help animals?
Your input will help to inform the new strategic plan that our staff and board of directors will be developing in the months to come.
The town hall meetings will be identical, so you have the option to come to one or the other, whichever one works better for your schedule. Both will be held at the CAA Community Space at 2100 1st Avenue South in Minneapolis. Please let me know which of these you’ll be joining us for:
Our community is essential to grow and sustain our organization. Just last weekend, we celebrated our supporters with a Donor Appreciation Party. If you’re a donor who couldn’t make it to the event, we want you to know how grateful we are for your support. Thank you!
If you are interested in becoming a CAA donor, please visit our donate page and learn more about how you can help to sustain our work. Also, please consider joining us for our 2017 Annual Banquet on Saturday, April 22 at The Wellstone Center in St. Paul. This annual fundraising event includes a gourmet vegan dinner and silent auction, and all proceeds benefit the work we do for the animals. Tickets are selling fast. Get yours soon before they’re gone!
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
P.S. If you’d like to learn how to use our new virtual reality pay-per-view equipment, please join us for our next volunteer orientation meeting on Saturday, April 8 at 9am, just before the town hall meeting.
Have you heard?! CAA has published a new edition of our 12-page magazine, Twin Cities Veg Living. View it online now!
This is the third year that we’ve published the magazine, and this year’s edition contains lots of fun, inspiring articles, with subjects ranging from new vegan restaurants in the Twin Cities to the animals at SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary. There’s also a guide to going plant-based on a budget and a guide to the best vegan baked goods in town. And don’t miss the recipe for Vegan Chicken Fried Steak from The Herbivorous Butcher.
We’re very grateful to all of the volunteers who contributed to the magazine in a variety of ways, from photography to writing to proofreading. We’ve listed all of them on our blog along with more info about the magazine. Check it out!
We’ll make the magazine available at community events throughout the year, so the next time you’re with us be sure to pick up a few copies to share with friends and family. Our next big events are our Town Hall Meetings on April 6 or April 8 and our 2017 Annual Banquet on April 22. Tickets are selling fast for the banquet, so get yours today!
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
What does our work look like through your eyes? Please let me know by taking a moment to complete this short survey. It asks big picture questions about our work to cultivate compassion for farmed animals.
Your responses will inform our staff and board, and we’ll use them to prepare for our upcoming Town Hall Meetings on April 6 and April 8. We’d love it if you can join us for one of these important community discussions. Your participation and input will move us from big ideas toward concrete actions. In the months that follow, these will be laid out by our staff and board in a map and strategic plan which we’ll then share with the community.
I also invite you to look through our recently published 2016 Annual Report. I hope you’ll be inspired reading about all that we’ve accomplished together. It includes a financial report and a list of our top donors, too. Many thanks to all who have so generously supported us over the years!
As you continue to help build our compassionate movement, please remember our 2017 Annual Banquet coming up on Saturday, April 22. Tickets are going fast. Get yours today! Can’t make it to the banquet? Make a donation to help us end the suffering of farmed animals.
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
P.S. Check out our blog and learn more about our newest board member, Chris Homsey.
I really enjoyed seeing so many new faces a couple weeks ago at the 8th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off. If you’re one of our community members who attends CAA’s social events now and then, I invite you to get involved with our outreach efforts throughout the year.
If you care about protecting animals, one of the best ways you can take action is through informing the general public of the issues. Leafleting and pay-per-view are two of the ways that CAA does this. Sometimes it’s just a matter of handing a leaflet to a passerby, but sometimes that direct contact leads to conversation. You can really have an impact with a few words of understanding and encouragement.
If that interests you, please check out our upcoming leafleting event with touring leafleter John Zachary Deetjen from Vegan Outreach. Working alongside a pro, you’ll have an excellent opportunity to improve your skills as an animal advocate.
Also, if you believe in CAA and want to help support our mission, I hope you’ll join us at one of our two upcoming Town Hall Meetings on April 6 and April 8. The input we get from our community will help shape our strategic plan for the next three to five years. In preparation for these meetings, I’ll be sending another email in the next week to collect your perspectives on the work we do. Be on the lookout for that and check out all of our upcoming events listed below.
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
March Events
- Panel Discussion: Factory Farming in Minnesota – Time for a Change?
- Thursday, March 2, 6:00 – 7:45pm
- Ostrander Auditorium, Minnesota State University, Mankato
- A coalition of national and area environmental, religious, and community groups are joining forces to challenge and question the social justice, environmental, and animal welfare impacts of factory farming in Minnesota.
- March Dine Out: Breakfast at Reverie
- Leaflet with Vegan Outreach
- Monday, March 6, 8:00am – 2:00pm
- Plaza in front of Coffman Memorial Union
- Join us for all just part of the time, that’s fine too. Meet us outside Coffman Union, and we’ll give you some leaflets.
- For more information or if you would like to volunteer, email Laura Matanah at [email protected]. RSVP on to the Facebook event page and invite your friends.
- Evening Volunteer Orientation
- Thursday, March 9, 6:00 – 6:30pm
- CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Ave S, Minneapolis
- Interested in volunteering for CAA? This is the meeting for you!
- To RSVP, email Laura Matanah at laura@exploreveg.org.
- March Potluck: Vegan Food and Mailing Party
- Thursday, March 9, 6:30 – 8:30pm
- CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Ave S, Minneapolis
- Bring a vegan dish to share and help us stuff some envelopes with the new edition of Twin Cities Veg Living, our annual magazine.
- If you plan to attend, RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin at [email protected].
- Saturday Morning Volunteer Orientation
- Saturday, March 25, 10:00 – 11:00am
- CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Ave S, Minneapolis
- Interested in volunteering for CAA? This is the meeting for you!
- To RSVP, email Laura Matanah at laura@exploreveg.org.
The panel discussion about factory farming that was scheduled for tonight has been postponed due to a blizzard warning that begins at 6pm this evening in Mankato. CAA is one of the sponsors for this event. Here is new date:
- Thursday, March 2, 6:00 – 7:45pm
- Ostrander Auditorium, Minnesota State University, Mankato
- A coalition of national and area environmental, religious, and community groups are joining forces to challenge and question the social justice, environmental, and animal welfare impacts of factory farming in Minnesota.
If you are in the Mankato area, I hope you’ll consider attending this important discussion.
With the animals,
Laura Mantanah
It was wonderful to see so many of you at the 8th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off last Saturday. I encourage you to check out the recipes and photos on the Facebook event page.
Looking ahead to our next big event, I’m happy to share with you that our 2017 Annual Banquet and Reception will be on Saturday, April 22 from 5:30 to 9:00pm at the Wellstone Center in St. Paul. You’re warmly invited to attend.
Reserve your tickets today! We sold out last year, so make sure that you register soon. The funds we raise at the banquet help us to make community events like the chili cook-off possible, so please consider joining us for this very special annual event and supporting our work for the animals.
The banquet is also a lot of fun. This year, we’ve got a bunch of things you won’t want to miss:
- A gourmet vegan meal featuring traditional Jewish cuisine including delicious plant-based meats provided by The Herbivorous Butcher (gluten-free options available)
- The sparkling wit and worldly wisdom of Mistress Ginger, your emcee for the evening
- An inspiring presentation featuring some special guests and giving you a glimpse of the exciting projects CAA will undertake in the year to come
- A swanky reception featuring a selection of delicious vegan hors d’ouevres, beer, and wine (all included with your ticket to the event)
- A silent auction including artwork, gift baskets, and services from local vendors
This is your chance to get together with the compassionate community and support our important work for the animals. Please join us on April 22. It’ll be here before we know it!
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
P.S. If you are in the Mankato area, please consider attending this important panel discussion tomorrow about factory farming in Minnesota:
A coalition of national and area environmental, religious, and community groups are joining forces to challenge and question the social justice, environmental, and animal welfare impacts of factory farming in Minnesota. Factory Farming in Minnesota – Time for a Change? will be held from 6 to 7:30pm on Thursday, February 23 at Minnesota State University, Mankato, in the Ostrander Auditorium in the Centennial Student Union.
You won’t want to miss this! It’s one of our most popular events of the year.
Our community is coming together on Saturday for our 8th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off. Join us from 7 to 10pm in the student center (Coeur de Catherine) on the third floor in the Rauenhorst Ballroom at St. Catherine’s University. Fun times will be had!
It’s free to attend, and all are welcome! Be sure to bring your friends and family. You’ll get to sample lots of locally made chili and rate your favorites. Arrive early for the best selection. The competition will be fierce! Who will win? Come and find out.
This is the first big event I’ve organized with CAA, and I’m feeling very appreciative of all of the volunteers who are helping to make it a success with their offerings of time, energy, and expertise. I also appreciate everyone who has been active recently to help with pay-per-view events, leafleting, tabling, and our bake sale. Thanks to you we’ve done more outreach and community building in the first six weeks of 2017 than we did in the first six weeks of last year!
Speaking of generous, another community member is giving of their time and talents to benefit CAA. TJ V Raw of Whole Connection is hosting an all-level yoga and meditation class at Imbue Yoga on Friday, February 17 at 5:30pm. Proceeds will be donated to CAA. What a great way to give for the animals, and what a great way to get your appetite going for the chili cook-off!
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
Our biggest upcoming event is surely our 8th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off on next Saturday, February 18. We hope you’ll join us and bring your friends. (Click the “share” button on the Facebook event page to invite them easily.)
The cook-off is totally free to attend, and you’ll get to spend the evening sampling delicious homemade vegan chili. It’s also great opportunity to get to know others in the community, and then there’s the fun of the competition. Who will win? Come and find out!
With the animals,
Laura Matanah
February Events
- Evening Volunteer Orientation
- Thursday, February 9, 7:00 – 8:00pm
- CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Avenue S, Minneapolis
- Want to help farmed animals, make friends, develop your leadership skills, and eat great vegan food? Attend this orientation session to learn more.
- To RSVP, email Laura Matanah at laura@exploreveg.org.
- Leaflet at Ridder Arena
- Saturday, February 11, 3:30 – 4:15pm
- Ridder Arena, 1815 4th Street SE, Minneapolis
- Help leaflet before the U of M women’s hockey game.
- To sign up, email Trisha Johnson at [email protected].
- Valentine’s Vegan Bake Sale
- Tuesday, February 14, 10:00am – 2:00pm
- Ground floor of Coffman Memorial Union
- Buy a sweet for your sweetie or for yourself. All proceeds support CAA programs.
- Use the Facebook event page to invite your friends!
- 8th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off – FREE!
- Saturday, February 18, 7:00 – 10:00pm
- St. Catherine’s University, 2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, in the student center (Coeur de Catherine) on the third floor in the Rauenhorst Ballroom
- Would you like to help make this event a success? Check out the volunteer opportunities.
- Invite your friends using the Facebook event page.
- February Dine Out: French Meadow on Lyndale
- February Potluck: Vegan Q&A
- Sunday, February 26, 12:30 – 3:00pm
- CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Avenue S, Minneapolis
- Bring a vegan dish to share along with your burning questions about anything related to vegan living. You’ll be invited to write your questions down when you arrive. As the potluck continues, we’ll draw from our pile of questions to guide our discussion.
- RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin at [email protected].
