Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at CAA! We hope your holiday is filled with joy and peace and all the things that really matter. Thank you for all of the compassionate choices that you make every day for the animals.
Also, thanks to all who joined us for our 14th Annual Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck last Saturday. What a fun time! If you were there, please take a moment to fill out this survey to let us know how you liked the event and how we can make it even better.
If you’re looking for veg-friendly places to enjoy a holiday meal with friends and family, consider using the new app for VegGuide, now available as a free download from iTunes. CAA founder Dave Rolsky developed the VegGuide website in 2002 to make it easier for people to find good plant-based eats in the Twin Cities and beyond. We’re excited to see that it’s now got its own app, thanks to Eric Sorensen, husband of CAA volunteer Suzy Sorensen.
And one last thing: Our CAA Year-End Fundraiser kicks off next Thursday, December 1. This will be our most ambitious fundraiser yet, and we’d be honored to have your support. Look ahead to the big announcement about that next week!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
You’re invited! Please join us for our 14th Annual Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck on Saturday at Matthews Park Recreation Center from noon to 2:30pm. Just bring a vegan dish to share and get ready for a good time. Let’s kick off the holidays with the compassionate community!
And in the spirit of the season, Give to the Max Day is tomorrow, Thursday, November 17. We hope you’ll join in the giving and make a donation to support our work. Contributions of any amount are welcome and help us to grow our animal-friendly community in the Twin Cities and beyond.
Though we don’t always have control over world events, we can feel good knowing that locally we are making real change for the better. Every dollar you give does count toward supporting programs that help to create a kinder world for everyone. We are grateful for your support.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
Here’s some good news! As we mentioned a couple weeks ago, CAA has found a new executive director. Laura Matanah will join the staff in early December and train alongside me for a month before I depart at the end of the year.
Learn more about Laura in our new blog post about her. I’m really excited to see someone take the position who has successfully led and grown a nonprofit that’s similar to CAA. I’m looking forward to supporting her in this transition and to seeing how our organization will continue to thrive with this new leadership.
I also hope you’ll save the date for our December Potluck: Holiday Party (and Farewell Party!). It’s on Tuesday, December 27, from 6:00 to 8:30pm at the Powderhorn Recreation Center. CAA provides the cupcakes, and you bring a savory plant-based dish to share. It’ll be my last event as executive director with CAA, and I’d love to see you there.
Also, coming up this weekend, we’ve got another special event at the Powderhorn Recreation Center. This new round of Tea, Cookies, & Conversation will be all about how to talk with friends and family around the holidays. We hope you’ll join us for this meaningful community discussion on Saturday at 1:30pm.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
Thanks to everyone who came out for Twin Cities Veg Fest 2016! It was a full weekend—full of friends, food, and inspiration. I was uplifted to see how our community is growing, with more than 4,000 people in attendance and all them celebrating compassion. Check out this slideshow of images from the festival to see what I mean.
I was also really moved to hear one of our 130 volunteers remark that she had been vegetarian ever since coming to last year’s festival. I certainly hope that’s the case for many of our attendees, that they’re inspired in some way to take steps toward a plant-based diet for the animals.
And the good times just keep rolling! Join us in a couple weeks for our 14th annual Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck on Saturday, November 19. Scroll down for details about that and other November events for CAA.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
November Events
- November Dine Out: Pizza Lucé Seward
- Thursday, November 10, 6:30 – 8:30pm
- 2200 E Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis
- Please bring cash so that we can pay with one check!
- If you plan to attend, RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin at [email protected].
- Tea, Cookies, & Conversation: Being Vegan at the Holiday Table
- Saturday, November 12, 1:30 – 3:30pm
- Powderhorn Recreation Center, 3400 15th Avenue S, Minneapolis
- We’ll have a facilitated conversation about how to communicate about our vegan ethics with friends and family through the holidays.
- We encourage all participants to arrive by 1:30pm. The first 15 minutes will be for getting settled with tea and cookies. Introductions will begin at 1:45, at which point the room will be closed to newcomers.
- RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin at [email protected].
- The Martian Diet for Settlement on the Red Planet
- Tuesday, November 15, 5:30 – 6:30pm
- Room 317 of Akerman Hall, 110 SE Union Street, Minneapolis
- Come learn more about the potential for inhabiting Mars with Josh Borchard! FREE to attend!
- The Herbivorous Butcher will provide light snacks, and the talk is sponsored in conjunction with the U of M American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) chapter and CAA.
- RSVP on the Facebook event page.
- Vegan Bake Sale
- Thursday, November 17, 10:00am – 2:00pm
- Ground floor of Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis
- Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck
- Saturday, November 19, Noon – 3:00pm
- Matthews Park Recreation Center, 2318 29th Avenue S, Minneapolis
- Join us for our 14th Annual Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck! This event is open to all of our supporters, donors, volunteers, families, and friends.
- Invite your friends using the Facebook event page.
- Can you volunteer at this event? Check out our volunteer opportunities and contact Nathan Huerkamp at [email protected] if you’d like to help out.
We’re pleased to share that our hiring committee has chosen a new executive director for Compassionate Action for Animals: Laura Matanah.
Laura has great passion for effective animal advocacy and extensive experience with nonprofit management at a leadership level. What’s more, she’s been involved with CAA for several years and has significant experience working in diverse communities.
We look forward to sharing more about Laura in the coming weeks. For now, we just wanted to tell you the big news. We’re inspired to think of all the ways that CAA will continue to thrive with Laura’s leadership.
With gratitude, we’d also like to acknowledge our hiring committee, which included six core volunteers, each of them generously offering their time to find the right person for the job.
Laura will begin working at CAA in early December and will have a one-month training period alongside Unny Nambudiripad, the current executive director, before he officially departs at the end of the year.
You just might see Laura and Unny together at Twin Cities Veg Fest this weekend—already in training! Be sure to say hello if you see them and welcome Laura to her new position…starting soon!
Best wishes,
Justin Leaf, Communications & Events Coordinator
I’m happy to announce that the 2016 Kenny Feldman Animal Advocate Award goes to Minnesota State Senator Scott Dibble, a leading voice for animals in Minnesota’s legislature.
This awards program was launched last year to recognize a local person, organization, or business whose work benefits animals. Read more about how Senator Dibble has been an outstanding advocate for animals, and then join us on Sunday, October 30 at Twin Cities Veg Fest as we present Scott with the award at 11:30am in Coffman Theater just before Marco Antonio Regil’s presentation.
This award is named in memory of animal lover Kenny Feldman. The Feldman family created this award in collaboration with CAA as part of their sponsorship of Twin Cities Veg Fest. We are very grateful to the Feldmans for their enduring support, and we are happy to honor the memory of their son Kenny. We love that this award celebrates compassionate individuals while recognizing Kenny’s legacy of compassion for animals.
And speaking of Twin Cities Veg Fest sponsors, let me tell you who about who is very generously supporting our festival this year:
- Platinum Level
- Gold Level
- Silver Level
- Bronze Level
Please follow the links to learn more about these fantastic businesses and organizations that care enough about animals to support our annual celebration of compassion. The festival is coming up on Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30, from 11am to 4pm each day at Coffman Memorial Union. Admission is free. Bring your friends and family!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
I’m really excited to share with you the roster of speakers and chefs who will be presenting at the upcoming Twin Cities Veg Fest. These passionate individuals advocate for animals in a variety of ways everyday of their lives, and they’ll be at the festival to inspire you to make kind choices in your own lives.
One of my favorite features of hosting the festival is getting to bring in people from outside the Twin Cities region. Their presence shows how our movement is far-reaching, and it enriches our own community to include those voices. For this year, those out-of-town guests include Mexican TV celebrity Marco Antonio Regil, solo performance artist Pamela Ziemann, undercover investigator Mike Wolf, and acclaimed vegan chef Tess Challis.
Also, for the first time ever at the festival, The Herbivorous Butcher gives a cooking demo (with their famous meat-free meats!) and Mistress Ginger gives a speaker presentation (with her song and dance!).
We also have a variety of other speakers and chefs who are treasured members of our community. They’ll be sharing their wisdom on subjects ranging from vegan cuisine to philosophy to nutrition.
Check out the schedule of speakers and cooking demos below, and don’t miss Twin Cities Veg Fest 2016. You are sure to be inspired!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
- Saturday, October 29
- Mike Wolf – The Importance of Undercover Investigations
- 11:30am in the President’s Room on the 3rd floor
- Mistress Ginger – Compassion with a Fan Kick
- 12:30pm in the President’s Room on the 3rd floor
- Mark Berkson – What’s in a Name?: Religious and Philosophical Reflections
- 1:30pm in the President’s Room on the 3rd floor
- Suzy Sorensen, RD, LD, CDE – Healthy Habits for Healthy Vegans
- 2:30pm in the President’s Room on the 3rd floor
- Sunday, October 30
- Marco Antonio Regil – From Carnivore to Vegan
- 11:30am in the Coffman Theater
- Pamela Ziemann – Alice Cooper vs. The Dairy Princess
- 1:30pm in the President’s Room on the 3rd floor
- Jeff Johnson
- 2:30pm in the President’s Room on the 3rd floor
- Saturday, October 29
- AmyLeo Barankovich – Getting Saucey with Compassionate Eating
- 11:30am in the Coffman Theater
- Tess Challis – Nutritious Meets Delicious
- 1:15pm in the Coffman Theater
- Sunday, October 30
- Nathan Huerkamp – Cutting Your Prep Time with Better Knife Techniques
- 11:30am in the Presidents Room on the 3rd floor
- Kale and Aubry Walsh, The Herbivorous Butchers – Trick or Vegan Treats!
- 1:30pm in the Coffman Theater
- Heather Marie – Kid Friendly Meals
- 3:00pm in the Coffman Theater
We’ve got a lot of exciting events coming up this month, the biggest of which is of course Twin Cities Veg Fest. But we’ve also got another very special event, a tour of SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary on this coming Saturday, October 8.
I hope you’ll join us for that. If you’re looking to build your compassionate muscles, there’s no better exercise than meeting animals up close and personal. It’s such a powerful way to experience them as the complex, sensitive individuals they are.
Check out all of our upcoming events, covering the spectrum from volunteer opportunities for Twin Cities Veg Fest to social events with our compassionate community. Join us!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
October Events
- Tour of SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary
- Saturday, October 8, 3:00 – 4:00pm
- 1976 County Road CC, New Richmond, Wisconsin (County Road CC is also known as Wall Street, so If you’re using a GPS, you may need to use 1976 Wall Street.)
- Suggested donation: $10 per adult, $5 per child (12 and under)
- RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Dave Rolsky at [email protected].
- October Potluck: Vegan Food and Leaflet Stuffing
- Sunday, October 9, 1:00 – 4:00pm
- CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Avenue South
- Please bring a vegan dish to share! Along with enjoying the food, we’ll stuff leaflets with Twin Cities Veg Fest flyers.
- RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin at [email protected].
- October Dine Out: Himalayan on Lake Street
- Veg Fest Postering – On Campus (Round 3)
- Twin Cities Veg Fest Volunteer Orientation
- Twin Cities Veg Fest Volunteer Phone Call
- Leaflet with Vegan Outreach
- Twin Cities Veg Fest Postering, Bag Stuffing, and More!
- Distribute Twin Cities Veg Fest Leaflets
- Thursday, October 27, all day
- If you can join us, email Unny Nambudiripad at [email protected] and let us know what time you’re available. We’ll be there at least from 10am to 2pm, and possibly as early as 8:30am and as late as 3pm. The time frame depends on the availability of volunteers.
- Twin Cities Veg Fest
- Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30
- 11:00am – 4:00pm each day
- Coffman Memorial Union, The University of Minnesota
- Free admission! Everyone is welcome! Join us and invite your friends using the Facebook event page.
Our annual celebration of compassion is just about one month away, and in the next few weeks I’ll be sharing with you some of the things that we’re most excited to have at this year’s Twin Cities Veg Fest. Whether it be sensational food, inspiring presentations, or fun cooking demos, we’ve got you covered with all things veg!
First, I hope you’ve got the dates in your calendar. It’s October 29 and 30 at Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cites. Invite your friends!
Second, come hungry! We’ve arranged for a bunch of your favorite Twin Cities food vendors to be there. They’ll have an assortment of vegan food to keep you in awe of how amazing the vegan scene here really is.
Just a few of these superstar food vendors include:
- Fro Yo Soul
- Gorkha Palace
- Green Garden Bakery
- The Herbivorous Butcher
- Innate Foods
- Jasmine Deli
- Molly Spring Rolls
- Root to Rise Kitchen
- Vegan East
And that’s just the beginning! For a complete list of vendors and exhibitors with information about each one of them, visit our website. And check back later as we’ll be adding more in the weeks to come.
Please join us for this all-out celebration of compassion and get ready to satisfy your appetite for mouthwatering plant-based food and more!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
How would you like to be a part of the vital team that makes Twin Cities Veg Fest possible?
This annual festival is our biggest event of the year, and this year’s version of it is even bigger! We’ve expanded the festival to two days, which means that we need double the volunteer support. It’s October 29 and 30 at Coffman Memorial Union from 11am to 4pm each day. Can you help out for half a day?
If you’d like to volunteer, fill out the sign-up form and let us know which of the remaining festival jobs look the most fun to you. Some of the available positions include setup, tech support, helping with the kids area, and sign language interpreter. And of course, when you’re finished volunteering, you can hang out and enjoy the festival offerings as an attendee.
Please help make this celebration of compassion a huge success. Our day-of volunteers are instrumental in helping everything run smoothly so that everyone can have a great time. Sign up today!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
