News You Can Use: Co-ops Building Healthy Communities

Co-ops Building Healthy Communities

In This Issue Food Co-op Impacts Healthy Food Financing Co-op Job Openings Training Opportunities Cooperative Development Institute is growing!  A big welcome to our two new staff members, Matt Meyer and Rob Brown. They are both joining the New England Resident Owned Communities Program, Matt as a Southern New England organizer and Rob as the lead organizer in Maine. We're delighted to be bringing more top-notch services to aspiring and beginning resident-owners! Have you met with your Congressperson? Summer recess is a good time to meet with your Congressperson. They are looking to connect with constituents, so let your Representative know how much you love your co-op and what a difference it is making to you and your community. Get your Rep. to become a co-sponsor of HR 3677, the National Cooperative Development Act, by reminding them Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World. Now is the time to start planning for Co-op Month! October is right around the corner. Hurry over to the Co-op Month website to get loads of resources and ideas on how to celebrate and educate about cooperatives. And here you thought August was a time to relax... On the plus side: local watermelons at your food co-op! (Photo via River Valley Market Co-op) Cooperative Development Institute:  The Northeast's Center for Cooperative Business Dear Co-operator, What's to love about co-ops? So much! Healthy Foods, Healthy Communities The National Cooperative Grocers Association has just released a report, a result of a collaboration with the ICA Group, that details the many ways that consumer owned food co-ops out-perform their conventional counterparts in bringing healthy, local, organic foods to their shoppers, while recycling more, paying employees better, and contributing more to their local communities. Read the full report here. Millions of Dollars Available in Healthy Food Financing & More The Cooperative Fund of New England announced that the US Treasury’s CDFI Fund has awarded it $1.7 million as part of its Financial Assistance program, one of the largest awards made this year. Of this award, $1 million will support its healthy food finance  program with the balance supporting their general lending program.  Congratulations to other awardees in our region, includingGenesis Fund (CDI's collaborator in bringing Resident Owned Communities to Maine), Coastal Enterprises Inc. (a long-time community economic development fund helping many Maine co-ops), Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (mainly focused on employee-owned businesses), Vermont Community Loan Fund, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund and ROC USA Capital, and a whole lot of credit unions. Job Openings The Old Creamery Co-op has an immediate opening for a General Manager. They're looking for someone with senior management experience in a retail food business and strong skills in financial management, marketing, problem solving, communication, and community building. They seek an inspired leader who embraces challenge and who has vision, compassion, and a sense of humor. More information about the job posting is here, as well as a link to a detailed job description. Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn is looking for aCooperative Developer. Help this successful program continue to develop worker-owned cooperatives among a largely immigrant population. Apply by August 15! Green Worker Cooperatives in the South Bronx is looking for aVolunteer Coordinator.  A start-up Boston Recycling Cooperative is looking for a Business Manager. Apply by August 17! Training Opportunities Interested in being a co-op developer but need to upgrade your skills? Consider attending Session One of the Cooperation Works! professional development program in Madison, WI this September. Or stay on the lookout for the application to be part of the 2013 cohort of Democracy At Work Network (DAWN) peer technical advisors.  To be a stronger co-op manager, you can get your master's in co-op and credit union management at Saint Mary's.  For all co-operators: attend the NCBA Annual Meeting and Co-op Conference in Seattle, WA October 2-5 (youth scholarships available!), and Imagine 2012, the international conference on co-operative economics, and the International Summit of Cooperativesin Quebec, October 6-11.