.jpg)
Dear Members,
Last week, I talked about our speaking event featuring local farmers and one of the pillars of our mission statement, “Promoting a stronger and more resilient local economy with an emphasis on local production.” Did you know that there are four more pillars that we as a staff and a membership should be thinking about when we think and talk about the co-op?
The first is “Fostering food security through better access and affordability.” In current times of economic uncertainty and inflation, this pillar becomes much more important and much more challenging to uphold. We want everyone to be able to shop at the co-op. We want to ensure that shoppers see variety not only in product selection, but also in price. Our Field Day basics brand maintains everyday low pricing on all the organic products that you need to fill your pantry. We also offer our Food For All program. New this year, this program gives qualifying members the opportunity to apply for an everyday 5% discount on everything in the store. You can learn more on our website: Food For All Program | Newark Natural Foods - Delaware Grocery Store.
The next pillar is “Connecting with our community and welcoming all.” We are always striving to find new ways to support our community. Our register round-up program gives members the opportunity to support a local or regional nonprofit every time they shop. Members can also be on the look-out for upcoming community volunteer opportunities which will earn them working credit that offers 7% off up to $75 for each hour of volunteering.
Our third pillar is “Empowering healthy and sustainable living through education.” Our educational speaker series will continue with our next event in May during our quarterly Member Appreciation Weekend. More details will arrive shortly, but in the meantime, you can always stop by the co-op to learn more about our products from our wonderful and knowledgeable staff. We also offer an education center by our Wellness Department complete with helpful books and literature about various natural remedies and a computer that shoppers can use to look up information about what they might be looking for.
All of these pillars uphold the overall mission of the co-op to lead cultural transformation by nurturing economic, ecological, and social sustainability in the greater Newark community. I know that our staff and our membership are committed to this mission, and we will all continue to work hard to make a difference.
All the Best,
Catherine Hallman