From the Board President: Thanks and an Apology

from-the-pres

In October, the Co-op hosted its second annual Member-Owner Meeting & Social. The annual meeting, a sort of share holders’ meeting in which a “state of the Co-op” is presented, is a big deal. It’s the one event we’re required to host as per our bylaws, and it’s a signature event for food co-ops across the U.S. Our social, held at the Oster Regent, was full of conversations and good vibes (helped in part by generous donations of cookies, mini muffins, beer, cider, and mead!). Yet even with all the generosity and positive conversations, I was unprepared for the email that showed up the next day from Co-op member Randy S.:

[My wife] and I decided to donate a $40.00 gift certificate that can be used to purchase tickets at the Oster Regent Theater, so you can use as you see fit for a membership drive. The gift certificate is good until January 2018.

Thanks for all your hard work.

How cool is that?! Yes, I was surprised, but I suppose one could argue that I shouldn’t have been. Indeed, Randy’s donation was just the latest in a long series of donations, gifts, and volunteering that has helped the Co-op grow from an idea to an incorporated business nearing 500 owners and projected to open in about 2 years.

Here’s another example. In August, I reached out to Rada Cutlery (a great knife company based in Waverly) and asked them if they’d be interested in setting up a booth at our Fall Food Fest. Phil Jones, the manufacturer’s vice president, said they weren’t able to make the event, and then, without my asking, offered to donate some knife sets to the event. We ended up with 3 beautiful sets that we used for a new member-owner drawing. Again, how cool is that?!

Got time for another example? This past summer we held an event for Co-op committee members and prospective committee members and their families. Putting aside for the moment the fact that the space was donated—thanks Connie S.!—and the fact that most of the food and drink was donated, I was also amazed by the action of one particular young woman. Ninth grader Sophia S. approached me and said that if we did something like this again, she could bake cookies. And guess what? She did with two plates of yummy cookies that were part of the Owner Meeting & Social. Very cool.

I’d like to take this opportunity to extend some additional thanks. While there are too many to list, the following are some examples of the amazing community collaborating to bring a Co-op to Cedar Falls. Thank you…

  • Jen & Kyle C. and Sarah & Bob F., for hosting a recent Co-op house party that brought in 5 new owners
  • Christy P. and Mary A., for designing the Fall Food Fest materials
  • All of the Co-op committee members, for taking on the countless details of running this effort
  • Xianli Z., for joining two committees
  • The Cedar Falls and College Hill Farmers Markets, for allowing us to have a booth set up each month these past three years
  • Kim G., for being Rooty, the Co-op carrot at Fall Food Fest
  • Judy W., my mom, for designing and creating the beloved Co-op carrot costume
  • Carol Lilly at Community Main Street and Kim Manning at the Visitors and Tourism Bureau for providing us with the opportunity to present to their committees
  • Mark & Abby R., for donating homemade cider and mead for the Member-Owner Meeting & Social
  • Hansen’s Dairy Outlet, for their tireless support
  • John M., for rounding up friends to perform live music at our Fall Food Fest
  • All the Co-op Business Partners, now over 40, for offering discounts to Co-op owners
  • Miss Wonderful, for letting us promote the Co-op at the latest Girls Night Out
  • All the Co-op’s Facebook friends
  • All the Co-op member-owners!

As previously indicated, this is by no means a complete list of the numerous individuals, families, and businesses that have supported the efforts of the Co-op to establish a community-owned grocery store. In fact, there are so many people who are helping out that we can’t possibly thank all of them here. This is where my apology comes in. Each donor, each volunteer, each business partner, has received a formal thank you on behalf of the Co-op, so please don’t view an omission from this list as a lack of appreciation. We love all our supporters and wouldn’t be where we are without them!!

One final note of thanks. Fosters Mattress has graciously agreed to donate $10 to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank on behalf of the Co-op for each new member share purchased in the first part of November. (See details here [link to other article]). If you see Charles or Sarah Foster, or any of those individuals or business owners mentioned above, tell them “THANKS!” from the Co-op!

In cooperation,

Tom Wickersham

 

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