Change for Good

 

2020 was the first year of the Change for Good partnership, a register round-up program to benefit a monthly slate of organizations, voted on by Co-op owners, through the cumulative donations of shoppers choosing to round-up their shopping total to the nearest dollar.
 

This is a recording of an informational webinar that is sharing information on our Change for Good program, the application process, and timeline.

Our Change for Good Application deadline is ๐Ÿต:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ๐—ฝ๐—บ, ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿณ๐˜๐—ต, ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿญ.

The application can be found in the Change for Good section of our AFC Gives webpage

 

To learn more about AFC Gives and its funding programs, please visit ashlandfood.coop/afcgives

 

Here are some highlights from the webinar:

Organizations must:
   โ€ข Have documented tax-exempt status to be eligible
   โ€ข Have a Co-op member listed in the Organization or on the Board of Directors
   โ€ข Meet at least one of the AFC Gives priorities (detailed below)
   โ€ข Operate in Jackson or Josephine Counties

Featured Change for Good organizations will be required to:
   โ€ข Offer an info table at the Coop for two hours, twice per month (on hold until Covid distancing is lifted)
   โ€ข Provide marketing images and info for the Co-op's:
      - Weekly Sales Flyer (pending available real estate on flyer/insert)
      - Social Media posts (2)
      - E-Mail Blasts (2)
      - Printed Posters in Store (TBD)
      - Customer Displays (at each register and a larger display on the Community Monitor above the soup bar)
   โ€ข Provide a brief explanation of the organization's mission and work (for cashiers' interactions with customers)
   โ€ข Media:
      - Logo (AI or high-quality PNG)
      - 4-8 photos/videos/other content to share in marketing channels.
      - Any projects, stories or other information you'd like the Co-op to highlight.
      - An email (and optional social media postings) to your list encouraging your supporters to round-up for Change for Good during your featured month.

For 2021, we are looking for nonprofit organizations to partner monthly with the Co-op and its owners in support of five priorities:

  • ๐—˜quity, ๐——iversity, ๐—œnclusion - Support for organizations that specifically focus on increasing diversity, supporting equity and inclusion and educate the public on anti-racism.
  • ๐—•๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐˜€ - Support for housing and homelessness; providing for food, shelter, and clothing; and addressing the needs of children in or on the edge of poverty.
  • ๐—–๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ - Support for developing climate resiliency and sustainability.
  • ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต๐˜† ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ - Increasing the awareness and viability of local food producers and support for sustainable agriculture.
  • ๐—–๐˜‚๐—น๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ - Highlighting the arts and cultural programs that bring awareness to the coop principles of community, equity, and sustainability.

 

Applications will require an explanation of how the work of your organization addresses one or more of these priorities.

 

More Co-op News

Apply for an AFC Gives community grant

For over 25 years, the Ashland Food Co-op has been re-investing in the local community by awarding grants to non-profit organizations doing important work in the Rogue Valley. Putting the seventh cooperative principle, "concern for community," into action, over $30,000 was donated in 2019 - and in 2020, there are even more opportunities for non-profits.

Click here to apply for a 2020 community grant.

The Co-op is getting a refresh

We are giving our store a much-needed fresh coat of paint. We think you'll enjoy the changes!

When

The painting team will begin our project on February 5th, 2020 with a start time of 9pm.

Where

The entire retail store, deli serving area and interior seating area will receive a fresh new coat of paint.

Timeline

If all goes as planned, our painting project should be finished by February 20.

Will Store Hours Change?

No. We will be painting from 9pm to 5am.

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Looking to explore some new citrus varieties? Know more before you go! Check out the many types of sweet, sour and somewhere in between that you can enjoy at the Co-op! (Availability may vary due to seasonality.)

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It's a month of giveaways from Taste for Life!

Giveaway #1 has finished up - so it's time for #2! This giveaway runs 1/27-2/2, so sign up below.

This package includes: NOW's Sabucus Zinc-C lozenges, Mushroom Wisdom's SX-Fraction, Bluebonnet's Stress Release formula, ChildLife's First Defense immune formula, Vitafusion's Organic Women's Multi vitamin, Quantum Health's Eye Health supplement, Kyo-Green Sprouts Blend digestion supplement, Solgar's full spectrum Curcumin supplement, and Solgar's No. 7 joint comfort supplement. 

Rogue Co-ops College Scholarship

As part of the Rogue Co-ops, a group of Rogue Valley cooperative businesses that includes Ashland Food Co-op, Grange Co-op, Medford Food Co-op, and Rogue Credit Union, we're excited to offer a scholarship opportunity to local high school students planning on attending college.

The Rogue Co-ops have collectively funded a $2,000 scholarship (and Grange Co-op offers an additional eight $1,500 scholarships) for students (in public, private or home school settings) who meet the following requirements:

Become an Owner-Volunteer with the AFC Board

The AFC Board of Directors is looking for owner-volunteers for three board committees: the Owner Engagement Committee (OEC), Board Development Committee (BDC), and AFC Gives Committee. 

Sustainability Update: Building on a Strong Foundation

Sustainability Update

Our team has been working on many different projects throughout the year, taking great steps to fulfill our four sustainability goals. Our four goals to achieve by 2030 are: carbon neutrality, zero waste, eliminating toxic chemicals, and being a leader in our sustainable community. We look forward to our sustainable success in the upcoming decade! 

2020: A vision for the future through Co-ops and local food

As the 2010s come to a close, the โ€œ20/20โ€ eyesight analogy couldnโ€™t be more appropriate for the new decade. With our eye on the future, thereโ€™s clearly a sense of urgency and awareness of the unique times weโ€™re living in: a changing climate, increases in costs of living, and the shared pressures of a globalized world. 

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10 Ways to Enjoy: Ginger Spread

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Meet Your Board: Melina Barker

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Melina Barker

 

Smart Chickenยฎ Holiday Giving in 2019

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Over the years, Smart Chickenยฎ and Ashland Food Co-op have teamed up to donate thousands of pounds of chicken to ACCESS. Smart Chickenยฎ will once again donate Smart Chickenยฎ products based on the total volume that shoppers purchase at Ashland Food Co-op to ACCESS.

Henry in the Garden: Already Preparing for the Spring

The bane of all gardeners is powdery mildew - that white substance that collects both on the tops and bottoms of the leaves of your healthiest vegetable plants. Cucumbers and zucchini seem to be more easily affected by this scourge than many others.

GM Report: Gratitude for a Great 2019 at the Co-op

Itโ€™s the season of gratitude and reflection on the year that has passed, and there is so much to be thankful for as a Co-op owner. 

2019 started off with the news that over $13,000 in emergency donations had been raised from Co-op owners and shoppers for support and relief efforts after Paradise, CA was leveled by a wildfire. This outpouring of our support was critical in the months after the fire, after the news trucks had left and the work of rebuilding began. I know how grateful we all are for the much calmer smoke season that our region experienced this summer. 

Rounding Up in October

Part of what makes co-ops unique are the guiding 7 Principles of Cooperation. One of the seven that is felt strongly in Ashland is "Concern for the community" - and that's why the Co-op is offering a new way to give back to our community for the month of October. When you pay at the register, you can round up your total to the nearest dollar. For example, $11.68 becomes $12, and $0.32 is donated.