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President's Message
From April 2010 Newsletter (by Regan Merritt Perry)Following is a compilation of responses from member forum participants in the Annual Meeting October 2009 held at our friendly neighbors, the Methodist Church. My President’s message is woven in, as many discussions have followed since last October. Our focus this year is INCLUSION. Even if the answers to our long term questions are not immediately forthcoming, I would like to recognize all the patient people who have allowed vigorous discussion especially, my fellow Directors on the Board. We also want to make sure we are getting ready for the Wellness Fair coming April 24. I invite anyone to join me at the table. I look forward to having the Co-op in the public eye, continuing to let it be known EVERYONE IS WELCOME at the Co-op.
The meeting split into four groups to offer their views of the progress we have made towards our stated goals from the Co-op’s Five-Year Strategic Plan. Board members guided the exercise and strategies were specified for overall goal implementation, delineated areas of satisfaction and dis-satisfaction, areas for growth & improvements to the volunteer program, and brainstormed on the next five years at Mountain Community Co-op.
Former Board of Directors Officers Debra Grant and Toby Bensinger have stepped down since taking these notes. We thank them for their contributions over the years. I was elected to serve as president of the Board. I hope to honor their contributions to the Co-op then and overall, and encourage us to move forward into 2010 with renewed vision and energy.
Group Discussion on GOALS
1. Support our underlying philosophy of people teaching themselves and each other the benefits of organic food and working together. Let’s provide products and services that encourage people to shop at the Co-op. Let’s offer classes to bring people together to promote community and healthy goals such as cooking with good food, gardening, and the principles of organic gardening.
2. Maintain and improve Co-op properties. Plan and manage for on-going rental income. Let’s continue to improve the existing facility, for example: providing outdoor seating for sharing tea/coffee/soft drinks under the grape arbor.
Skills people want to pursue are also an opportunity to come together at the Co-op and make good use of the spaces available. Let’s provide opportunities such as: Presentations, Classes and Services that encourage people to come to the Co-op to learn, to enrich their lives and their community such as: Community and Demonstration Gardens, services to engage the school children passing our doors every afternoon & on-going support of the language center that has been in the building in the past year. Many of the classes our membership is calling for could be accommodated well in the middle portion of the house. We need to drum up the energy and focus to utilize the facility we have while continuing to gain revenue to support Co-op operations.
We could also be the central point for disseminating information and supporting healthy activities in the community, such as our participation in the annual Wellness Fair. All of these provide opportunity for Members and Non-members alike to benefit from the Community Co-op.
3. Review short and long range plans periodically. Adjust them according to our goals, priorities and what we discover as we look at our progress along the way. Let’s share Co-op management strategies with other Co-ops in Puget Sound. Let’s recall that the assistance we received from Olympia Food Co-op was invaluable at the start of MCC. As we grow, we may also learn from successful Co-ops with a longer history.
4. Encourage the entire community, members and non-members, to be more aware of responsible water usage, carbon footprint – generally the impact individuals have when they make lifestyle choices. Our Co-op has several rooms to rent, fertile ground, and a core of energetic people that could be available to run and to participate in all manner of workshops, demonstrations, classes, lectures in series or individual events. Let’s devise the method to offer our space to encourage learning and sustainable practices. This will not only enrich our community, but could result in a steady, sustainable income for providing/maintaining the space.
PERFORMANCE
Participants collectively answered questions regarding several aspects of the Co-op’s performance, so far:
We are Satisfied with: Bulk herbs, samples for customers to try out, new foods, variety of products, organic meats, produce shares program, sense of community, excellent customer service, and volunteers reported feeling grateful to be of good service to the community.
We are Un-satisfied with: Outreach to the Senior Center has been suggested, but no program or person has been found to define the effort and make this happen. We are generally under pressure and underachieving due to the fact fewer volunteers are available than are needed to implement our goals successfully. Recognition for volunteers needs to improve and general improvements need to be identified and implemented for the volunteer program. No school liaison has been located, yet, to shepherd long-range goals into existence such as the Food to School program supported by the WSDA (populated by many other school districts in the State of Washington). An individual acting as school liaison could also be central to creating more needed services for local children, which would also benefit the Co-op by way of using space we have available. For example; after school activities designed to compliment or enhance programs already in place, a snack area that could be another use for seating under the grape arbor.
Member communications need improvement. The newsletter is just beginning a new era. We are formalizing plans to offer hard copy quarterly to members who request it, have it on paper in the store, and provide monthly e-mail links to content that will be continually updated and available online.
There are concerns about store layout, security and which products to focus on. This is a tricky area to address, as snack foods are a very strong frontrunner in popularity among respondents to the 2008 survey, even though the heart and soul of a cooperative is regular purchase/availability of organic grains, vegetables, dairy, as well as non-food items. We have clearly expressed our commitment to the buying club and local vendors represented at the store. Our greatest area for growth is to clarify the use and financial stability of the Washington Street House. I have placed “For Rent” signs in the window with my contact information to encourage appropriate use of the building.
The dissatisfaction with aspects of lighting and store layout is complicated. One possible use of space would be to separate foods from the non-food and consignment offerings. Solutions in future could include space in the Washington Street House to feature items in a more visible location for passers-by as well as members in-the-know. As a retail enterprise we are always looking to be visible. We aim to be relevant to our loyal shoppers while attracting new ones in our efforts to turn a profit. In follow-on discussions since the forum, the pivotal point in question is exactly who is or could be renting our empty space. We are still exploring exactly what arrangements will be put in place for the rent to be covered and the space be made available affordably for appropriate use.
Membership is encouraged to consider strategies, arrangements and offer solutions modest and/or brilliant in person, in writing – share your vision!
1. Support our underlying philosophy of people teaching themselves and each other the benefits of organic food and working together. Let’s provide products and services that encourage people to shop at the Co-op. Let’s offer classes to bring people together to promote community and healthy goals such as cooking with good food, gardening, and the principles of organic gardening.
2. Maintain and improve Co-op properties. Plan and manage for on-going rental income. Let’s continue to improve the existing facility, for example: providing outdoor seating for sharing tea/coffee/soft drinks under the grape arbor.
Skills people want to pursue are also an opportunity to come together at the Co-op and make good use of the spaces available. Let’s provide opportunities such as: Presentations, Classes and Services that encourage people to come to the Co-op to learn, to enrich their lives and their community such as: Community and Demonstration Gardens, services to engage the school children passing our doors every afternoon & on-going support of the language center that has been in the building in the past year. Many of the classes our membership is calling for could be accommodated well in the middle portion of the house. We need to drum up the energy and focus to utilize the facility we have while continuing to gain revenue to support Co-op operations.
We could also be the central point for disseminating information and supporting healthy activities in the community, such as our participation in the annual Wellness Fair. All of these provide opportunity for Members and Non-members alike to benefit from the Community Co-op.
3. Review short and long range plans periodically. Adjust them according to our goals, priorities and what we discover as we look at our progress along the way. Let’s share Co-op management strategies with other Co-ops in Puget Sound. Let’s recall that the assistance we received from Olympia Food Co-op was invaluable at the start of MCC. As we grow, we may also learn from successful Co-ops with a longer history.
4. Encourage the entire community, members and non-members, to be more aware of responsible water usage, carbon footprint – generally the impact individuals have when they make lifestyle choices. Our Co-op has several rooms to rent, fertile ground, and a core of energetic people that could be available to run and to participate in all manner of workshops, demonstrations, classes, lectures in series or individual events. Let’s devise the method to offer our space to encourage learning and sustainable practices. This will not only enrich our community, but could result in a steady, sustainable income for providing/maintaining the space.
PERFORMANCE
Participants collectively answered questions regarding several aspects of the Co-op’s performance, so far:
We are Satisfied with: Bulk herbs, samples for customers to try out, new foods, variety of products, organic meats, produce shares program, sense of community, excellent customer service, and volunteers reported feeling grateful to be of good service to the community.
We are Un-satisfied with: Outreach to the Senior Center has been suggested, but no program or person has been found to define the effort and make this happen. We are generally under pressure and underachieving due to the fact fewer volunteers are available than are needed to implement our goals successfully. Recognition for volunteers needs to improve and general improvements need to be identified and implemented for the volunteer program. No school liaison has been located, yet, to shepherd long-range goals into existence such as the Food to School program supported by the WSDA (populated by many other school districts in the State of Washington). An individual acting as school liaison could also be central to creating more needed services for local children, which would also benefit the Co-op by way of using space we have available. For example; after school activities designed to compliment or enhance programs already in place, a snack area that could be another use for seating under the grape arbor.
Member communications need improvement. The newsletter is just beginning a new era. We are formalizing plans to offer hard copy quarterly to members who request it, have it on paper in the store, and provide monthly e-mail links to content that will be continually updated and available online.
There are concerns about store layout, security and which products to focus on. This is a tricky area to address, as snack foods are a very strong frontrunner in popularity among respondents to the 2008 survey, even though the heart and soul of a cooperative is regular purchase/availability of organic grains, vegetables, dairy, as well as non-food items. We have clearly expressed our commitment to the buying club and local vendors represented at the store. Our greatest area for growth is to clarify the use and financial stability of the Washington Street House. I have placed “For Rent” signs in the window with my contact information to encourage appropriate use of the building.
The dissatisfaction with aspects of lighting and store layout is complicated. One possible use of space would be to separate foods from the non-food and consignment offerings. Solutions in future could include space in the Washington Street House to feature items in a more visible location for passers-by as well as members in-the-know. As a retail enterprise we are always looking to be visible. We aim to be relevant to our loyal shoppers while attracting new ones in our efforts to turn a profit. In follow-on discussions since the forum, the pivotal point in question is exactly who is or could be renting our empty space. We are still exploring exactly what arrangements will be put in place for the rent to be covered and the space be made available affordably for appropriate use.
Membership is encouraged to consider strategies, arrangements and offer solutions modest and/or brilliant in person, in writing – share your vision!
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