Your Community, Your Co-op
The heart of our Co-op, like the heart of any co-op, is its community. Our small and dedicated staff keeps things running here, but the co-op isn’t just another store. Democratic member control is one of the basic principles shared by all food-coops; anyone can become a member, and members have a say in how we do business.
We’re actively involved in our community, promoting and hosting local events as well as gathering and sharing information on topics of local interest.
We maintain a library of books on topics such as low impact living, gardening, food threats (such as genetically-modified crops), alternative fuels, and natural health. For more details, see our online catalog (at LibraryThing.com). Feel free to stop in and read; members can check books out to take home, as well.
The community keeps us going, too; for example, we couldn’t survive without our superworkers! These dedicated volunteers help out with everything from stocking to bagging, cleaning to recycling.
In exchange for their time, superworkers earn discounts off their Co-op purchases. Their presence helps build a strong sense of community here at UVFC. There are other ways to help out, too.
Get Involved
Become a member! Membership benefits include discounts, special sales, lending library privileges and more. For details, check out our membership page.
Become a “Friend of the Co-op” member worker! Be on our call list for occasional projects, such as helping out with special events, staffing a co-op table at a fair, making or building materials, creating artwork, doing special computer projects, coming to a bulk mail fold-and-stuff party have fun and earn a discount off your Co-op purchases. You can also choose to come down to the Co-op whenever you like and help out with whatever needs doing at the moment (best to call first).
Become a superworker! Earn a greater discount off your Co-op purchases and enjoy being immersed in the Co-op community on a more consistent basis. There are endless jobs available, to suit every talent and schedule. Just give us a call.
Become a committee member! The Co-op currently has four active committees: Membership, Education, Nominating, and Finance. These require two or three hours a month on average, and earn you a Co-op discount.
Interested in joining in? Stop by or call us for details.
Local Issues, Global Impact
We stay on top of the issues that affect our community and the world at large. We’re frequently involved in projects relating to food production, food law, the public health, and the environment, among other topics.
From petitions to film screenings on topics including localization, the organic food movement, and GMOs, we’re proactive in our approach to issues of local and worldwide concern.
Check out the information below, and contact us if you’d like to get involved. By spreading the word and taking action on a community level, we can work for change on a global scale.