The top level of our Co-op, our board of directors, is run by volunteers. It is our foundational belief that cooperative economics can lift communities out of poverty. As we advance our goals to build a community owned grocery, we are faced with the question, “How do we value the work?”
We are finding that there are both legal and practical limitations to free work for our Co-op. Legally, being a for-profit Limited Cooperative Association in Kentucky limits the number and kinds of volunteer hours allowed. Practically, many of us have had to tighten purses and pick up more hours just to survive daily, making additional volunteer hours daunting. While our methodologies for generating food and income for the community are currently in their infancy, our resources to generate food and income are tangible.
Building from nothing is a way of life for many of us in this Co-op and our Co-op is a step past nothing. Our Co-op has access to retail space, business licensure, professional accounting, produce distributors, and political support. We have the resources to tap into generating income with the co-op. The Next Step is joining the conversation on Louisville Community Grocery’s food buying club and begin with a feasibility study on how we can take action that will begin our generative food Co-op. Fill in the Google form today.
By Arte Chambers
Edited by Michelle Lori