Come to the August 30 General Meeting and Other Updates
Hi Coop Member,
It is hard to believe that the end of August is already upon us when it seems like the summer just began. As we enjoy these last days of summer before the rush of the start of school and other autumn activities, the Coop invites you to attend the August General Meeting on Tuesday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. The General Meeting is held over Zoom and all Coop member-owners are invited.
Registration is required to attend. Please sign-up by 5:00 pm on Tue., Aug. 30.
The Zoom invite will be emailed after 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 30.
Get prepared by reading the GM agenda, 28-week Financial Statement and
Draft Annual Meeting minutes and June and July General Meeting minutes:
Attendance at the GM continues to drop with less than one percent of members coming to the meetings. Cooperative governance succeeds when members participate. The GM is where you discuss member-submitted agenda items, listen to reports from member committees, and vote on important proposals. It is also your opportunity to hear directly from the staff about the finances and operations of your Coop. Meaningful member participation strengthens the Coop’s governance system, ensures that the Coop’s Board of Directors hears from a broad swath of the Coop membership, and upholds the democratic principle at the heart of cooperatives. We strongly encourage you to make time to attend the monthly GM.
COOP NEWS
Wear Proper Footwear when Working Your Shift. Please do not wear open-toe shoes!
For safety reasons, any member-worker signed up to work a recurring or freelance shift in receiving or food processing will be allowed to work ONLY in aisles 2 through 7 if they are wearing open-toe shoes. Member-workers with open-toe shoes will not be permitted to work in the basement, in any cooler, in the food processing areas, or on any deliveries.
Labor Day Shopping Hours: The Coop will be open during our regular shopping hours, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Monday, Sept. 5.
The Coop is growing! As of August 21, Coop membership stands at 13,654 members. The Coop currently has an online, self-guided orientation, and people interested in joining the Coop can sign up for an appointment to enroll after reading the orientation materials. There are three weekly meetings for new member enrollment: Sunday starting at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Please help the Coop by spreading the word that the Coop is accepting new members. Interested people can click on the JOIN tab on foodcoop.com for all the information.
Current Covid Guidance: Following guidance from the CDC, NY State, and NYC, the Coop requests that members stay home if they are experiencing COVID symptoms or if they test positive for COVID-19. This guidance aims to reduce the risk of transmission and protect our Coop community.
If you have scheduled shifts, please cancel them through your Member Services account. If you need someone to shop for you, apply for an Authorized Shoppers in your Member Services account or send another Coop member to buy your groceries.
If you have been exposed to COVID, we ask that you follow the CDC guidance regarding close contacts.
Have a Question about Your Coop Membership? The Member FAQs page might have the answer! Additional information, especially about recurring or freelance shifts, is available in your Member Services account.
Recurring or Freelance Shifts? Members now have a choice for how to fulfill the Coop’s member labor requirement. Members can schedule every shift they want to work using the Shift Calendar. We call this type of work “freelance.” Or members who wish to work the same shift every cycle can choose a recurring shift from the Recurring Shift calendar. Explore the options for working in your member services account. Have questions? Visit or call the Membership Office for assistance.
Canceling scheduled shifts: Members can cancel their freelance or recurring shift by 8 pm the night before the shift meets. Failure to cancel will result in a no-show, and you will be docked one shift. The Coop’s no-show is at a historical low (yeah!) because members can more easily manage their work requirements by using the canceling feature in member services. Canceling also opens up the shift for another member to schedule as a freelance shift. This arrangement is a win-win situation for members and the Coop.
In Cooperation,
Ann Herpel, General Coordinator
On behalf of the General Coordinator Team