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Dear Members,
In my last letter, we went over the ways that Newark Natural Foods commits to some of the cooperative principles that make up the backbone of our business structure; voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, and members’ economic participation. Now, I’d like to talk about the last four principles.
Autonomy and Independence
Newark Natural Foods is an independent and self-sustaining organization and will remain so regardless of our relationships with other businesses or organizations. We are committed to ensuring that the terms and conditions of any formal relationship include the guarantee of our continued group autonomy.
Education, Training, and Information
One of the pillars of our mission statement is dedicated to our responsibility as an educator in our community. Our semi-monthly speaker series is a great way to get involved with the co-op and to learn more about various topics related to our co-op, our products, and our mission.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Newark Natural Foods is a member of two different cooperatives, Frontier Co-op and National Cooperative Grocers. Both organizations give us the opportunity to both support other co-ops and connect with other co-ops to ensure that we are all working together to continue to grow and strengthen our structure.
Concern for Community
Two of our Ends involve our concern for our community, connecting with our community and welcoming all and promoting a stronger and more resilient local economy with an emphasis on local production. We take our position as a leader in our community seriously, and we are always striving to find news ways to offer our support.
Now that we have a solid foundation of information about what co-ops are all about, I want to talk about how co-ops came to be the way that they are today. In my next letter, I’ll talk about one of the most famous historical cooperatives, The Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society. Stay Tuned!
All the Best,
Catherine Hallman
General Manager
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