Dear Member-Owners and Neighbors,
We want to begin by acknowledging the profound impact of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court ruling. We stand with National Co+op Grocers, a cooperative of nearly 150 food co-ops across the country, in affirming the human right of bodily autonomy and the liberty of women, trans, and nonbinary people to make decisions about their own bodies, including healthcare decisions.
Our co-op’s mission is to use food as a force for good - at our tables, in our community and for our planet.
In response to Dobbs, using food as a force for good at our tables means:
- Reviewing our in-store benefits package to ensure coverage for reproductive health and abortion care;
- Committing to improving our benefits coverage for reproductive health and abortion care when we next have the opportunity to renegotiate our benefits plans; and
- Expanding in-store health coverage to provide Board-funded travel benefits in the event that Pennsylvania adopts restrictive abortion laws to ensure all staff have equal access to necessary health care.
Using food as a force for good in our community and for our planet means:
- Supporting local advocacy organizations through partnerships and our Round Up at the Register program;
- Educating folx about the significant impact reproductive choice and bodily autonomy have on food insecurity in our community;
- Collaborating with our neighbors on special events, like Judy Ni of bāo • logy for a two-day community outreach event and bake sale with Bakers Against Racism; and
- Working to promote voter registration and participation throughout South Philly.
We encourage you, and everyone you know, to attend Bakers Against Racism’s Abortion Access Edition August Bake Sale on Sunday, August 7th and Monday, August 8th. The event aims to provide community education about choice, healthcare, human rights, and to raise funds and awareness for the upcoming election cycle. SPFC will serve as an order pick-up spot on Monday, from 2-7pm.
We welcome all member-owners to help us continue to think about how we can collectively advance the dialogue on reproductive justice, the human rights of women and any individual who has the capacity to experience a pregnancy (planned or unplanned) and women’s and gender-expansive individuals’ health more generally. Member-owners are encouraged to email our Board with their thoughts.
In Cooperation,
Chad Hooper, President
Mita Banerjee, Vice President
Sharon Ulak, Treasurer
A Procik, Secretary
Molly Devlin
Brendan Duffy
Zaire DuRant-Young
Eliza Kinsey
Jenn Ladd
Beckett Woodworth