Happy Co-op Month!
This October marks the first Co-op month we get to celebrate with a real brick and mortar store! Our store has been warmly received and as a result we’ve been able to expand our selection, increase the number of jobs we provide, and bring on more local farmers and producers.
As a mission-driven cooperative, we’re always working hard to advance our mission. That’s why, this October, we're working hard to grow our reach in the South Philly Community!
It's our October Equity Drive! Our goal is to welcome 40 new member-owners and raise $8,000 in equity this month! And there’s something everyone can do to help!
Not a member? Now is the time to join! Already an owner? You can help too!
Ways you can help your Co-op and our store:
- Become a Member-Owner
- Add Equity to your Share
- Donate to Our Community Equity Fund (CEF)
- Refer a Friend to Join
One of the goals of our month-long drive is to raise visibility to the cooperative difference and to illustrate why growing our base of ownership and equity is just as important to us now as it was before we opened our doors.
Why is Equity Important to the Co-op?
- Equity is ownership, and ownership is the foundation of the co-op model.
- Consumer ownership and equity makes us more than just a grocery store.
- We would not be open today without equity and ownership.
- Co-ops are able to open and thrive where chain stores and sole proprietors won't or can't and it is our ownership and equity numbers that allow us to do so.
- Equity is capitalization, under-capitalized businesses fail.
- Grocery is a capital intensive, low-margin business, profits are slim.
- Equity builds our financial foundation, allowing us to replace aging equipment when needed, and to grow and improve to better serve our community.
- Current funders require us to attain and report on ownership, equity, and other related benchmarks.
- Equity is necessary to secure future loans and other funding.
- Community investment through ownership and equity make it possible for us to advance our mission.
- Equity is ownership, when we own more and owe less, we are stronger.
Your equity investment makes you an owner. Ownership comes with these benefits:
- Our Community + Store: Build the local equity needed for South Philly to thrive.
- Democratic Elections: Elect and have the opportunity to run for the board.
- Owner Appreciation Days: Get special discounts and enjoy free product samples.
- Bulk Discounts: Save on case quantities and get special deals.
- Patronage Refunds: Share in the profits based on patronage of our store.
- Local Business Discounts: Save at over 40 participating local businesses.
- Workshops + Events: Participate in free community workshops and events.
We want everyone who shops with us to experience the cooperative difference and to have access to and enjoy the benefits of member-ownership.
Our Community Equity Fund extends the benefits of ownership to community members who would otherwise be unable to afford the full $300 investment.
Investing in the Co-op and our CEF and patronizing our store as a shopper make a big difference.
By each of us taking the next step together we can do more to advance our mission: “Using food as a force for good—at our tables, in our community, and for our planet.”
If you are not yet an owner, join.
If you are not yet fully invested at the $300 level, add equity.
If you are fully invested, donate to Our Community Equity Fund.
And whatever your investment status is, invite your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to join our effort!
Lastly, we encourage you to shop with us this Co-op Month and throughout the upcoming holiday season. When you invest and shop co-op you are voting for a more equitable food economy.
In Cooperation,
Lori Burge
General Manager