Here is the final component of our 7 part blog series that tell the remarkable stories of RAN’s various Palm Oil Action Leaders. In this final piece, we learn about Karrie Vrabel’s passion for being an influencer of positive change. Karrie is doing some profound work in her community, so if you live in the Minneapolis area and feel inspired by Karrie’s story, sign up to work with her by clicking the sign-up link at the bottom of the page!
Karrie Vrabel, Minneapolis, MN
Karrie’s activism began with her diet as a teenager. When she became aware of the horrible abuses that animals suffer for human consumption, she immediately became a vegetarian, which eventually transcended into ethical veganism. This motivation to stand up for and speak on behalf of the voiceless has thus been an underlying drive for her activism over the years.
A self-proclaimed extrovert, Karrie enjoys speaking with and sharing her knowledge with anyone she can that does not share this insight, in the hopes that it will prompt people to take action and create social and environmental reform. She believes that to be a positive influence on others, one must not only live and lead by example, but also understand and share what motivated them to create positive change. When one shares that compelling story with as many people as possible, one can empower them to find their own story to share, and aid them in becoming successful advocates for these various movements.
Karrie thrives when sharing her narrative with someone and it ignites them to transform their way of living, whether it moves them to hit the streets, be more conscious of what they consume and purchase, or simply taking the time to educate themselves on current issues. In her own words:
When I see transitions that I’ve sparked, I have the fuel to continue on my path. Friends and acquaintances say that because of me they read all labels before making a purchase to identify palm oil derivatives. At my suggestion, several people have watched the documentary “Tapped” and have stopped purchasing bottled water or anything in plastic.
Karrie’s commitment to empower her community to adopt more sustainable lifestyles and practices is unfaltering from day to day. She realizes that not everyone shares her dedication to protecting the welfare of the planet, but approaches these situations as an opportunity to enlighten them rather than to berate their habits:
We need to praise every positive step individuals make toward a sustainable lifestyle. People want to make better choices but do not want to feel chastised for accepting modern conveniences…Compassion always wins at the end of the day. Being filled with love and understanding has propelled my activism to be successful.
Karrie’s devotion to creating a wave of positive change in her community and beyond acts as a profound contribution to the fight against Conflict Palm Oil. She has a loving, healing, and nurturing spirit and we feel privileged to have the honor of working with her!
Do you live in the Minneapolis area and want to work with Karrie to fight Conflict Palm Oil? On August 11th she will be hosting a call-in event to Sara Lee on the University of Minnesota campus from 12PM-3:00PM.