You’re invited to Compassionate Action for Animals’ Annual Banquet happening on Saturday, May 16 at the Wellstone Center in St. Paul. We’ll be celebrating sixteen years of advocating for animals, and we’d love to have you there. Purchase your tickets today!

We’re very excited to be hosting this event for the first time at the Wellstone Center. We’ve also changed the format a bit. At 6:00pm, we’ll serve a gourmet dinner with limited seating. At 7:30pm, dinner will be followed more affordable reception open to more guests. You can reserve tickets for both the dinner and reception or just for the reception.

This event is sponsored by The Herbivorous Butcher, and the dinner will feature some of their delicious meatless meats. Gluten-free options will also be available.

Looking for a way to celebrate spring? Join us for first community potluck of the season on Sunday, March 29 from 1:00 to 3:00pm. This event will be held in the 18th floor lounge at the Chateau Student Housing Co-op in Dinkytown. Bring a vegan dish to share and join in the fun. Everyone is welcome. RSVP our Facebook event page or email Justin Leaf at justin@exploreveg.org.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

Join us for a Town Hall Meeting and Vegan Ice Cream Social on Monday, April 6 from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the CAA Community Space, 2100 1st Avenue South in Minneapolis.

We want to hear from you! This community meeting is an opportunity for you to tell us what you think about our programs. You are welcome to ask questions, express concerns, and share ideas. Vegan ice cream from Izzy’s Ice Cream will be provided.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. Please RSVP on our Facebook event page or by email to Dave Rolsky at dave@exploreveg.org.

And one more thing! Our March dine out at Triple Rock Social Club is happening this weekend, on Sunday, March 8 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. RSVP on the Facebook event page or send an email to Justin at justin@exploreveg.org. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward the night before. We’ll get one hour less that night, but you can roll out of bed a little later and join us for some vegan pancakes. Yum!

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

Have you ever had a difficult conversation with friends or family about your involvement in the animal protection movement? Maybe there were some challenging questions about your dietary choices at a holiday gathering. Maybe you wanted to share your values with a friend but the conversation quickly turned into an argument. Or maybe you tried to talk to your loved ones about factory farming only to discover that they didn’t want to hear about it.

How do you handle these kinds of situations? If you’re looking for new ways to stay true to your values while staying close to your loved ones, join us for the first edition of Tea, Cookies, and Conversation on Thursday, March 19 from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the CAA Community Space at 2100 1st Avenue South in Minneapolis. This new series of moderated discussions will cover hot topics that are important to you. It’ll be a safe space where we can share our experiences, gain new insights, and connect with like-minded individuals. This month, we’ll focus on how to talk with friends and family about our values.

We welcome everyone along the spectrum of moving towards a plant-based diet. Whether you’re just curious, new to the path or a longtime vegan, each of us has something to learn and something to share. RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin at justin@exploreveg.org. Herbal tea and vegan cookies will be provided. If you’d like to bake a batch of vegan cookies for the event, let us know.

Even sooner than that, you can join us for our March Dine Out: Triple Rock Brunch on Sunday, March 8 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Triple Rock offers the ultimate in vegan comfort food. RSVP on the Facebook event page or send an email to Justin at justin@exploreveg.org. And bring friends! These fun monthly dine outs are a great way to show our loved ones that vegan dining options abound in the Twin Cities.

We hope to see you at one or both of these upcoming events.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

Do you ever think about the intersection of animal rights, human rights, and environmentalism?

Along with the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Environmental and Energy Law Society, we are co-hosting a presentation on this very subject tomorrow, Wednesday, February 18 at 12:15pm in Room 30 of Mondale Hall at the University of Minnesota Law School. Lunch will be provided. Check out the Facebook event page for more information.

We also have a few other events happening this week: a dine out, a volunteer training day, and a potluck.

• Join us on Wednesday, February 18 at 6:00pm for a dine out at Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine, a small, very veg-friendly restaurant located at 3761 Bloomington Avenue in South Minneapolis. If you’d like to attend, please RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin Leaf at justin@exploreveg.org.
• On Saturday, February 21 from 10:00am to 4:00pm we’re hosting a day-long volunteer training that covers how to be an effective advocate for animals, general animal protection philosophy, and available local and national resources. This workshop includes lunch and is free to attend, but preregistration is required.
• Then, on Sunday, February 22 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the CAA Community Space at 2100 1st Avenue South, we are hosting our February Potluck: Vegan Taco Mania! We’ll provide some corn tortillas, taco shells, and some dessert. You bring your favorite vegan taco fillings and prepare for an afternoon of fun. RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin at justin@exploreveg.org.

Wow, we’ve got lots of upcoming opportunities to get involved! Please consider joining us for one or more of these fun and inspiring events.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us, and we can think of no better way to celebrate the quintessential day of love than by living a life of compassion. Here are some animal-friendly ways to be our Veggie Valentines in the week ahead:

• Join us for our Valentine’s Vegan Bake Sale tomorrow, Wednesday, February 11 from 10:00am to 2:00pm on the ground floor at Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota. Get a sweet for your sweet or for yourself!
• Listen to our most recent podcast all about Vegan Dating in 2015. Our panel of CAA volunteers had a fun and candid conversation about the challenges and gifts that come with dating as a vegan or vegetarian.
• Tune into AM950’s Food Freedom Radio Show for a conversation on All Things Love and Food with special guest AmyLeo Barankovich, founder of Vegan Affairs: A Path Toward Gentle Living. You are welcome to call in at 952-946-6205 with your questions about plant-based eating. This broadcast will air on Saturday, February 14 from 8:00 to 9:00am.
• Go to see Mistress Ginger Cooks!: Love Songs to Turn Up the Heat, a saucy cabaret show featuring everyone’s favorite vegan showgirl. This evening of song is happening on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14 at 7:00pm at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater. Reserve tickets to be sure you get a seat. (Autographed copies of Ginger’s vegan cookbook will be available for purchase after the show!)

I hope you can take part in one or more of these Valentine-inspired activities and feel the love!

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

The 6th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off is happening this Saturday, February 7 at 7:00pm at the First Unitarian Society, 900 Mount Curve Avenue in Minneapolis. This event is free to attend and loads of fun. Join us and invite your friends via the Facebook event page.

Everyone is welcome. This event is a great way to show others how delicious vegan food can be. And not only that, it’s a cook-off. Who will win? You be the judge! You’ll get to sample the various chili recipes and vote on your favorites.

Later this month, we’ve got a couple other social events that’ll give you the opportunity to hobnob with other animal-friendly folks. Join us for a dine out at Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine on Wednesday, February 18 at 6:00pm. Please RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin Leaf at justin@exploreveg.org. Then, on Sunday, February 22 at 1:00pm, we’ll be hosting a potluck at the CAA Community Space. It’s Vegan Taco Mania! Bring your favorite fixin’s to make vegan tacos. Again, please RSVP on the Facebook event page or contact Justin by email.

If it’s some plant-powered physical activity you’re seeking, join us for a Cross Country Ski Outing at Theodore Wirth Park on Sunday, February 15 at 10:00am. This skiing adventure is co-hosted by No Meat Athlete – Minneapolis and will be followed by a vegan potluck. RSVP on the Facebook event page or email me at unny@exploreveg.org.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

February is overflowing with a spectrum of CAA events, from our Vegan Chili Cook-Off to our Valentine’s Vegan Bake Sale. Amidst all of these fun social activities, we have a couple special programs to help sharpen your skills as activists and keep you knowledgeable of the issues.

On Saturday, February 21 from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the CAA Community Space, we’re hosting a Volunteer Training Day that will cover general animal protection philosophy and teach you how to be an effective advocate for animals. You’ll get an introduction to CAA’s work and learn about other local and national resources available to help you be the best activist you can be. The workshop is free to attend and includes a free lunch. We have limited room, so register today!

Then, on Wednesday, February 18 from 12:15 to 1:15pm, join us at University of Minnesota Law School for an exciting presentation on Animal Rights, Human Rights, and the Future of the Planet. The presenters include Carter Dillard, Director of Litigation with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and Stephanie Feldstein, Population and Sustainability Director with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Lastly, save the date for our Annual Banquet. It’s happening on Saturday, May 16 at the Wellstone Center in St. Paul, beginning at 5:30pm. The first part of the evening will be a gourmet vegan dinner for a limited number of attendees, and then later in the evening we’ll open the event to more people for a party. Look forward to this festive fundraiser celebrating our 16th year advocating for farmed animals.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

Executive Director

The next few months have plenty to offer for those interested in helping animals.

We’ll be hosting a Valentine’s Vegan Bake Sale on Wednesday, February 11 from 10:00am to 2:00pm on the ground floor of Coffman Memorial Union. Save the date for some delicious vegan sweets. All funds raised will support our work advocating for the animals. Now that’s a truly sweet deal!

To balance out those sweets, we’ve got something spicy for you. Join us for our 6th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, February 7 at 7:00pm at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis. This event is free to attend and always a good time. If you’d like to enter as a cook-off as a contestant and serve up samples of your original vegan chili, register today. The competition can get surprisingly heated — no pun intended.

Are you interested in helping with our pay-per-view program? This powerful form of outreach moves people with a glimpse of the truth. We offer passersby one dollar to watch a 5-minute video that reveals what happens behind the closed doors of factory farms. Our upcoming pay-per-view events will be held at the University of Minnesota on January 29, February 5, February 19, and March 11. If you’d like to get involved, contact Claire Erickson at claire.erickson@exploreveg.org.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

For the sixth year in a row, we come together in the middle of a bleak Minnesota winter to celebrate compassion and stir up some hot vegan chili. Join us on Saturday, February 7 at 7:00pm for our 6th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off, held at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, 900 Mount Curve Avenue.

This popular event is free to attend and features not only a variety of delicious vegan chili but also the opportunity to party with other veg-friendly folks. And then there’s the competition. We don’t call this a “cook-off” for nothing! If you’ve got a rockin’ vegan chili recipe you want to share, register to enter the contest. Judged by the attendees, you’ll have the chance to be one of three winners to take home some awesome prizes.

If you need some warming up sooner than later, join us for our January Potluck: Vegan Hotdish on this Saturday, January 17 from 6:00 to 9:00pm at the home of Sarah Matanah, 2901 E 25th Street in Minneapolis. RSVP on the Facebook event page or by email to justin@exploreveg.org.

If you want to help sustain these kinds of programs for our community, consider joining our fundraising committee. We are looking for volunteers to help us cultivate donors and raise the funds used to implement our work. If you are interested, please contact me at unny@exploreveg.org. I hope you’ll consider being a part of this vital team that makes our work possible.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad

Our Give for Compassion campaign was a huge success thanks to all of you! Thanks to your contribution, we not only met both of our 2-for-1 matched goals, but also surpassed them. Wow! Your generous support helps us fund our outreach, education, and community building programs. On behalf of the animals, we thank you!

We have a few community building events coming up in the near future. Join us for a dine out at Evergreen Chinese Restaurant on Monday, January 12. The following Saturday, January 17, we’ll come together for a potluck at the home of Sarah Matanah in the Seward neighborhood. Then, not long after that, on Saturday, February 7, we’ll host our 6th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off. Don’t miss that fun event, always a good time and free to attend.

If you’d like to be a contestant for the chili cook-off, register today. We still have some spots to fill, and we welcome your original vegan chili recipe!

Again, thank you for your generous support. As we say goodbye to 2014 and look ahead to the new year, we renew our commitment to speaking out for farmed animals and building a compassionate community in the Twin Cities and beyond. Together, we’re making it happen.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad