June 16, 2025
Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers who bring passion, skills, and genuine commitment to our mission. Sheryl Lyke is one such volunteer whose three-year journey with CAA shows how individual involvement can grow and evolve over time.
From Concern to Advocacy
Sheryl first attended Twin Cities Veg Fest in 2022 because she wanted to become more involved in the metro area’s bustling plant-based community. She became vegetarian in 2001 after learning about routine antibiotic and hormone use in animal agriculture and deciding that she didn’t want to expose her young daughters to those chemicals. Nearly two decades later, it was Sheryl’s daughters who inspired her to learn about factory farming’s negative impact on people, animals, and the planet and finally go vegan.
When Sheryl attended Twin Cities Veg Fest, she was so impressed by the impact she saw that she decided to give her own time to support the festival as a volunteer. In 2023 and 2024, she distributed vegan snacks to attendees at our food giveaway booth and helped make sure the festival met our zero-waste standards. This year, she’s a member of the Twin Cities Veg Fest planning committee, lending expertise from her tech background to help out with the festival website.
Finding Like-Minded Community
Sheryl’s motivation for volunteering centers around community building. She says she enjoys volunteering because it allows her to meet other people who share her values. Sheryl has long been involved in plant-based, health, and conservation communities, but it wasn’t until getting involved with CAA that she became more active in animal advocacy. What draws her to be involved? “I’m most impressed by how passionate and kind the volunteers are and how much they can accomplish,” she says.
While not everyone involved with CAA is at the same point in their vegan journey, everyone shares a commitment to doing what they can to help farmed animals and address the harms caused by animal agriculture. At Twin Cities Veg Fest in 2023, 57% of attendees indicated that they do not yet identify as vegan, but more than half of non-vegans said they intend to reduce their consumption of animal products as a result of attending the festival.
Personal Values in Action
Sheryl’s commitment to environmental and animal advocacy extends far beyond her involvement with CAA. When she isn’t volunteering, Sheryl can be found gardening and converting her yard to include more native plants. Using native plants helps support local ecosystems and reduces environmental impact. She’s also a long-distance runner and just completed her 6th marathon!
Some of Sheryl’s favorite Twin Cities restaurants are Trio Plant-Based, Reverie, J. Selby’s, and Francis Burger Joint. She also finds vegan recipes from Nora Cooks, which she usually makes for herself and her youngest daughter.
Inspired by Sheryl? Get Involved With CAA!
If Sheryl’s story inspires you, consider supporting our work by volunteering, donating, or exploring creative options like matching grants through your employer. Together, we’re creating a more compassionate world for animals, people, and our planet.
Past Volunteer Spotlights
Want to meet more of our amazing volunteers? Explore these recent volunteer profiles:
- Volunteer Spotlight on Rianna Engel
- Volunteer Spotlight on Magnus Larsson
- Volunteer Spotlight on Ronan Magnus
- Volunteer Spotlight on Kedar Deshpande
- Volunteer Spotlight on Anna Larsson
- Volunteer Spotlight on Alysia Nelson
- Volunteer Spotlight on Tom Hoch
- Volunteer Spotlight on Lexy Race
- Volunteer Spotlight on Faustine Micheyls
- Volunteer Spotlight on Grace Prins
- Volunteer Spotlight on Kim Milligan
- Volunteer Spotlight on Allison Gamble
Making an Impact Together
Volunteers drive everything we accomplish. Last year, more than 280 volunteers donated over 6,263 hours of their time — more than $125,000 in value to CAA! They’ve also gained valuable advocacy skills, leadership experience, and lasting friendships in our community.
Read more about our collective impact in the annual report and browse available volunteer roles here.
CAA’s Theory of Change
Our mission is to encourage people to embrace their empathy for farmed animals and move toward a plant-based diet. This drives our vision of a world where all animals, human and nonhuman, can thrive.
We grow our movement by welcoming people of all backgrounds. Through our programs, events, and activities, we create a powerful cycle of increasing awareness, building community, empowering advocates, and generating lasting change for farmed animals. This approach targets both individual and institutional change.
What kind of change do we create? Our programs reduce consumption of animal products, improve the lives of farmed animals, and benefit the well-being of all Minnesotans.
We developed this theory of change in 2017 through comprehensive community input, including an online stakeholder survey, two public town halls, and strategic planning sessions with staff, core volunteers, and board members.
Your Skills, Our Mission
Ready to turn your compassion into action? Join our community of changemakers! Explore our volunteer opportunities to find the perfect match for your interests and skills. From hands-on roles in food service, photography, and event coordination to strategic planning for Twin Cities Veg Fest and helping to manage our website, there’s a meaningful way for everyone to contribute.
