Willow Glen Resident

News

Residents looking for a way to start cooperative grocery

By Alicia Upano

There's a grassroots effort afoot to bring a grocer--but not a franchise supermarket--into downtown Willow Glen.

More than 30 residents hope to create a food cooperative, a business that would be operated for and governed by the people who shop there. Typically, a cooperative provides quality food and household items at reasonable prices to the community it serves.

For a group of residents that met June 5, a co-op market would fulfill their desire to have grocery store in downtown Willow Glen.

Their efforts come at a time when Willow Glen is losing several grocery stores. The Albertson's supermarkets located on Bird and Meridian avenues were both slated for closure.

"I think it would be great to have a convenient grocery store," Willow Glen resident Stacy Scott said. "It's a community endeavor that supports us and supports our health."

Planning is in the early stages, and the group is hoping to survey the larger Willow Glen community to see if there's sufficient interest to go forward. If so, the group would then decide on the particulars, such as whether the co-op will have a retail presence or begin as a buying club. The group will also decide what produce and goods to carry, and how the business can participate in Earth-friendly practices.

Several people who attended a June 5 informational meeting wanted to see a Willow Glen cooperative that would interact with the community, providing classes on cooking and nutrition or including a deli for healthy lunch alternatives.

"I think we're really in a health crisis. This could be an opportunity for children and adults to connect with their health through their food," Sylvie Nalezny said. "Let's have it be a happy place."

Many residents have expressed a desire for a Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's, but the possibility of a large grocer moving on to Lincoln Avenue is unrealistic. The street does not have available retail space or the necessary parking to accommodate this type of business. But that has not deterred residents from coming up with an alternative plan.

Interested residents agreed taking "baby steps" was the best way to go, allowing the cooperative's needs to grow out of the membership.

Several representatives will be at the Dancin' on the Avenue event on June 17 in front of Lite for Life, 1203 Lincoln Ave., passing out surveys and providing information on food cooperatives.

In order to become a cooperative member, a person typically "buys in" at no more than $300, which could be paid in a lump sum or in installments, Scott said. Being a member provides shopping discounts or patronage dividends at the end of the year. If members leave the cooperative, they will receive their money back.

Cooperatives are a nonprofit venture. Non-members are often welcome to shop at the cooperative though they may not receive as many benefits.

"It's great because it's distributed risk," Dan Scott said.

According to the National Cooperative Business Association, nearly 500 communities support retail cooperatives across the country in addition to buying clubs. Buying clubs consist of a number of people who bulk-order goods at wholesale prices and then divide the order among themselves to substantially save money.

For more information, visit finance. groups.yahoo.com/group/wgcoop or email wgcoop@yahoogroups.com.