Category Archives: News
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Take a look “behind the scenes” at the Co-op
Posted on May 30, 2013 by Dan Pohlig in News
As we’ve been doing for a few months now, we want to share our monthly committee reports with our membership and those who are thinking of becoming members. We have several active committees staffed by dedicated, hard-working volunteers whose one goal is get this Co-op built. As you can see from the reports below, we’ve all been pretty busy trying to accomplish that goal.
But we need help. If you’re a member who wants to make a HUGE difference in how fast we can get to the ribbon cutting for the Co-op, please consider volunteering to serve on one of these committees. The report below – which was available in hard copy at our Spring General Membership Meeting – will help you determine which activities fit with your skill set or are among skills that you’re hoping to learn. (You can also download the report here.)
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The results are in: Board Elections
Posted on May 29, 2013 by Dan Pohlig in News
At last night’s meeting of the South Philly Food Co-op Board of Directors, the directors who were elected at the Spring General Membership meeting on May 19, 2013 began their two-year term which will end at the Spring General Membership Meeting in 2015. The following members were elected to serve in that position:
- Maria Sourbeer (née Camoratto)
- Mary Beth Hertz
- Joseph Marino
- Cassie Plummer
- John Raezer
These five join Alison Fritz, Jay Tarlecki, Josh Richards, Julia Koprak, and Anna Ship on the South Philly Food Co-op Board of Directors.
Do you have questions or comments for any of the board members? Email general@southphillyfoodcoop.org.
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Co-ops helping co-ops and how that helps OUR co-op
Posted on May 10, 2013 by Dan Pohlig in News
A few days ago, the website Generocity posted a great write-up of a recent meeting of Philly-area co-ops who are coming together to forge partnership and leverage their collective strength in the service of making operational and marketing improvements. As someone who has been working on the marketing of the South Philly Food Co-op, I was particularly encouraged by this piece:
On the marketing end, Weavers Way, Swarthmore and potentially Creekside will be setting up kiosks at WXPN’s Xponential Festival on the Camden Waterfront. They will be clustered in an area called “Co-op Row” and will likely share staff and resources throughout the event.
The possibility of collectively buying ad-space on WHYY was also discussed as a way to market for the individual stores and to draw attention to co-ops generally.
This is exciting stuff for us in that any effort made by the region’s co-ops to create awareness of the co-op model will help our efforts to attract members. This kind of work will go a long way of moving our target population/geography from “nothing” to “awareness.” And as we’ve seen during this whole process that has helped us get 464 member-owners, once people hear about the Co-op and get an idea of what the cooperative form of ownership is all about, it doesn’t take much more to get them to be members.
Great news!
We look forward to seeing you at our Spring General Membership meeting on May 19.
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All the latest happenings about the Co-op in ONE place!
Posted on April 30, 2013 by Dan Pohlig in News
Hello, supporters of the South Philly Food Co-op! Once again thanks your all of your words of encouragement, your participation in our many outreach and fund-raising events AND especially your membership in the Co-op. If you haven’t joined yet then thanks for the first two things and we’re looking forward to having you as a member soon.
The Board of Directors of the Co-op takes its responsibility as the stewards of your member equity very seriously and to that end seeks to be as open and transparent as possible about all the work being done on behalf of the members to open a store. One of the ways the Co-op does this is by sharing the reports they receive each month from the various committees. These reports offer a concise and informative insider view of the various projects and goals being pursued by the Bookkeeping, Membership, Programs and Events, Marketing and Communications, Legal, Real Estate, Leadership, Business Outreach, Grants, IT, Speakers Bureau and Operations committees.
Click this link to view or download a PDF of the April committee reports. If you have any questions, feel free to post them as a comment to this blog post OR email general@southphillyfoodcoop.org.
What’s another way to get all the latest news about the Co-op? Come to our May general membership meeting on Sunday, May 19. (Details here.) Whether you’re a member or not, you are welcome to the meeting so you can find out as much you want to know about our efforts to date and take part in (if a member) or witness (if not) the process of voting for our board members.
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Filling Out Our Member Survey Earns a Prize for One Lucky Member!
Posted on April 24, 2013 by Dan Pohlig in News
Congratulations to Hayden N. who gets a gift card to The Expressive Hand (a Shop South Philly partner) for taking the Co-op’s member survey!
After joining the Co-op our members receive a phone call from one of our board members welcoming them and asking them whether there is anything the new member would like to ask about or suggest. We follow that up by emailing a brief survey to get to know new members better and to ask for their feedback in a few key areas. It is absolutely one of the easiest, least time consuming things a new member can do to help the Co-op. Our board values the insights they get from the members since, after all, the members own the Co-op and have the ultimate authority in how it is and will be run. These are just a couple of the ways that the board reaches out to hear from members. (The general membership meeting – May 19, 2013 3:30pm – 6:00pm, PEP Community Room, 1200 South Broad Street – is another.)
Have you taken the survey yet?
Keep an eye on your inbox for the survey link. We’ll be sending out an email to members with the survey link. And even though helping out the Co-op is its own reward, we’re also offering everyone who completes the survey additional chances to win prizes from other Shop South Philly partners (including one of three $10 gift certificates to Wishing Well!)
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Behind the Scenes : The Co-op Committees
Posted on April 3, 2013 by Stefania Patrizio in News
If you wanted to know how The Co-op has turned into one well-olive-oiled machine, it’s because of the drive and hard work of it’s committees. Every month the committees turn in a summary of updates, and today we wanted to share it with all of you. It’s some of the best source of information to keep up with The Co-op’s progress.
Check out our March 2013 Committee Report and read the latest happenings. We think it’s pretty exciting and we hope you do too!
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Why Is The Real Estate Committee So Sad?
Posted on February 5, 2013 by admin in News
The following is by Megan Kiesel, chair of the South Philly Food Co-op Real Estate Committee.
We’re usually a happy bunch! I swear!
But these days the Co-op Real Estate Committee has been a bit blue. Why? We are ready to start looking for a space for our new neighborhood co-op, however, the Co-op market study tells us that we shouldn’t secure a location until we have 400 members. We only have about 340.
We’ve been working hard the last couple of months. We developed a checklist to help us compare and assess potential locations. We met with folks around Philly who might be able to help us find space. We also interviewed members of real estate committees at other co-ops to learn some best practices. We know our membership committee is working hard, too. I can barely leave my house without running into a Co-op volunteer with a map and clipboard asking me if I’ve joined yet.
We are ready! We are excited! We want to find the perfect space for the South Philly Food Co-op!
So, where are the last 60+ members that we need to get this party started? If you are reading this, and you are not yet a Co-op member, IT’S YOU! Are you excited about the Co-op but you keep forgetting to sign up? (Click here! Click here!). Are you unable to part with the $200 membership dues? (You know we offer payment plans, right?). Or are you holding out to see where we put the co-op before you commit? (We know all about you guys!) That’s just the thing, you see — we can’t put the store anywhere until all of you join us.
So what do you think? Is 2013 the year the South Philly Food Co-op finds its home?
Click here to make the Real Estate Committee smile again!
Editor’s Note: Having just gotten 7 new members over the past week, the Co-op is on track again to making the Real Estate Committee happy but we need to keep that momentum going. Sign up today!
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Seeking Nominees for Board Election This Spring
Posted on February 5, 2013 by Dan Pohlig in News
This spring the Co-op will be holding an election to fill six (6) seats on the Board of Directors and any member can put themselves forward as a candidate for one of those seats. This includes YOU! We need the involvement of dedicated member owners to guide the functions of the Co-op as a whole and provide a diverse set of perspectives on its decisions.
One of the most important features of the South Philly Food Co-op is that it is a community-owned and -controlled enterprise, whose member-owners have the power to make decisions about how it will be run. Members exercise that decision-making power through a 11-person elected board of directors. If you’re a member in good standing and you want to play a HUGE part in getting the Co-op to opening day, you can nominate yourself to run for the board.
The board represents the different neighborhoods, families, backgrounds, and ideals of the community that the Co-op seeks to serve. We are looking for member-owners that have been involved in the past but are ready to take on more of a leadership role. Below are the requirements for candidacy. (more…)
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Wash Cycle Laundry Lands on the Cover of GRID Magazine
Posted on January 16, 2013 by Mike Kaiser in News
The January 2013 issue of GRID Magazine features a familiar face and supporter of the South Philly Food Co-op – Gabriel Mandujano, CEO and Founder of Wash Cycle Laundry.
“The business, which uses bicycle trailers, sophisticated route planning software and a self-designed automated washing system, is revolutionizing the way Philadelphians receive clean laundry. With roughly 100 corporate clients and several hundred residential customers, Wash Cycle is proving that the laundry industry can be greener, cheaper and more efficient than the current model.”
Wash Cycle Laundry not only provides a fast and green alternative to doing laundry but they partner with workforce development organizations like Gearing Up and Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha to create jobs for Philadelphians.
You can read the full story here and member-owners be sure to use your Shop South Philly discount for 50% off your first service with Wash Cycle Laundry!
Congrats to Gabriel and Wash Cycle Laundry — keep up the good work and thanks for your continued support!
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News from Our Co-op Friends: CreekSide Co-op Grand Opening!
Posted on January 15, 2013 by Dan Pohlig in News
In the spirit of co-ops helping other co-ops we’re passing along this exciting news from our friends in Elkins Park, PA. Now, South Philly, let’s get cracking so we can send out a press release like this!
ELKINS PARK, PA – January 8, 2013 – On January 16, members, neighbors, VIPs and others will join CreekSide Co-op in celebrating the Grand Opening for this brand new community-owned grocery store in the heart of Elkins Park. The event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony with VIPs, including Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, plus live music from Ken Ulansey and Dave Posmontier. There will also be plenty of great food from the Co-op’s celebrated Prepared Foods Department and Deli, as well as a variety of samples and demos from CreekSide’s wonderful vendors. The Grand Opening celebration, and the Co-op itself, are open to the public, and everyone is invited to join in the fun.
The event lasts from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m., but there will be Grand Opening Specials, January 16 – 20, all weekend long! Enjoy a weekend of samples from CreekSide Co-op’s own kitchen and many of our local vendors, plus lots of in-store events and specials, plus CreekSide Co-op members get a special 5% member discount on everything, all weekend long, all weekend long, January 16 – 20!
For more information about CreekSide Co-op, and the Grand Opening Celebration, visit www.creekside.coop.
CreekSide Co-op is a brand new food co-op in Elkins Park, recently opened in the former home of Ashborne Market. Our 1,400 member households are committed to healthy food, a healthy environment, and a healthy community. CreekSide Co-op is full-service grocery store offering local and sustainably raised produce, kosher meats, organic bulk foods, a café and community meeting place.
