Get Involved

By being a shopper at the Co-op you demonstrate your support of the Co-op’s focus on local growers, producers, and organizations that serve our local community. Above and beyond that, there are many ways you can get more involved and participate actively in Co-op affairs.

Volunteer Opportunities

You can support the Co-op as a volunteer by reading to children, organizing donated containers, collecting recycled items, or helping with special events or projects. Watch the Co-op newsletter for volunteer opportunities or check the bulletin boards at the store. You can also inquire at the service desk about volunteering.

Contact our volunteer coordinator, Jean Rogers, if you’d like to volunteer.

Board of Directors

You can represent members and help guide the store as one of the Co-op’s nine-member Board of Directors. Any member who has paid dues for the current year is eligible to run for a director position during the annual election in March. Directors are elected by the members and are legally responsible for running the Co-op.

For more information, stop by the service desk or contact Jean Rogers or reach her at 734-8158.

Committees

Members are welcome to attend committee and Board meetings and become active in the governance of the Co-op. Committees include the Member Affairs Committee, the Board Development Committee, and the Finance Committee. These committees study policy issues, provide recommendations, and advise the Board.

Member Forums

The Co-op holds forums for members to gather and discuss issues of importance to Co-op members. The forums are held on an as-needed basis and in past years have focused on topics such as boycotts, whether to carry meat, and to discuss various aspects of the future of the Co-op. Recent forums have been held for members to discuss and give feedback, comments, and concerns about the Co-op’s planned second store.

Dining with the Directors

Dining with the Directors is an enjoyable way for the Board and Co-op members to get together to share good food and ideas about the Co-op. It’s a great opportunity for members to meet directly with the Board on a more personal level and helps Board members develop policies that truly represent member values and meet member needs. Each Dining with the Directors evening is focused on a single topic, such as “What makes membership meaningful?” or “What are the most important issues and questions for us to consider as a Co-op in the coming year?” Dinner is catered by the Co-op’s own Swan Café. Members chat informally in small groups with a board member at each table. At the end of the evening, the group convenes as a whole to summarize key points.

The Board offers two Dining with the Directors evenings each year (plus a similar focused-topic discussion at the Co-op’s annual meeting and party). Twenty-five members are invited—members can sign up at the service desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Preference is given to members who have not attended a past Dining with the Directors.

See Events for the next Dining with the Directors.