December Change for Good: Jackson County Fuel Committee
If you’ve lived through even one Rogue Valley winter, you know the cold settles in quickly. The frosty mornings, the long dark evenings, the kind of chill that lingers no matter how many layers you put on - winter can be tough. And while many of us can manage with the help of heaters, woodstoves, and warm homes, thousands of families in our community struggle to access the heat they need to stay safe and comfortable. That’s where the Jackson County Fuel Committee (JCFC) comes in!
Fueling Warmth Since 1978
JCFC started as a volunteer-led effort by forestry workers, mill workers, teachers, students, clergy, and everyday community members who realized something wasn’t adding up: people were cold, yet wood and energy resources were abundant.
Their mission hasn’t changed: make sure low-income families have access to heat, whether that’s emergency firewood, help preventing utility shutoffs, or weatherization support to keep homes warmer and energy bills lower.
A Community Effort With Serious Momentum
This year, JCFC entered the winter season with an impressive surge of support from across the Rogue Valley.
• Local students stepped up.
Thirty teens from Academia Latina rolled into a Wednesday woodcut ready to learn, sweat, and haul. They cut and stacked a full cord of firewood for JCFC members who couldn’t physically manage the work. As one JCFC team member said, these kids “knew what they were doing," and they taught each other along the way.
• A new structure took shape thanks to skilled hands.
The Timber Framers Guild designed and built a gorgeous new timber-frame structure for the JCFC woodlot, crafted by more than 100 people ranging in age from 13 to 73. Finished in September, the structure will help streamline firewood distribution so more families can get what they need, faster.
• Chainsaw pros lent their skills.
Pacific Oasis, one of the nation’s largest wildland firefighting companies, spent a full day at the woodlot tackling massive logs as part of their chainsaw certification class. They walked away with practical experience and JCFC walked away with a lot more firewood ready for delivery.
• Tree services delivered big.
Several local tree services sent truckloads of wood to the woodlot, including one forestry worker who spent months preparing six whole cords of cured and split firewood. That donation alone will help carry JCFC through December.
All this support meant JCFC rolled into the first cold snap with stocked woodpiles, new infrastructure, and enough volunteers to deliver firewood to more than a dozen households right out of the gate.
A Rough Winter Ahead And Why JCFC Matters
JCFC organizers expect this winter to be especially hard for low-income households. Heating costs are rising, and the cold is coming on fast.
As JCFC Benefits Coordinator Reyna O’Grady put it, “We have every reason to believe this is going to be a uniquely rough winter for people… and we need all hands on deck.”
At the Co-op, this is where our Change for Good program shines. Every time you round up at the register in December, you’re helping keep someone warm. You’re helping a family avoid a shutoff. You’re helping a senior heat their home safely. You’re supporting the volunteers who spend their weekends cutting, splitting, delivering, and advocating - rain, shine, or snow.
How You Can Help Warm a Home
• Round up at the register all month long. Every penny goes directly to JCFC’s fuel assistance efforts.
• Spread the word - share their work with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor.
• Volunteer or get involved by calling JCFC at 541-488-2905. (Ask for Reyna - they’ll point you in the right direction.)
Winter is coming on strong; let’s help make sure no one faces the cold alone.
More Co-op News
Black Lives Matter
We acknowledge that the Ashland Food Co-op has not had a culture where all employees and community members felt safe sharing their experiences of discrimination in our store. We apologize for this. We are on a learning journey. We have reached out for help, and are listening to our Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) employees and owners who want to be part of the positive change we seek.
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Vendors & businesses donating to relief efforts
From day one of the Almeda Fires, the Co-op team wanted to help the community. They reached out to vendors across the region and country to ask for their help with products, supplies and food to get to the fire victims.
And that help came through in big ways, getting nutritious food to displaced families, home supplies in high demand, and wellness and food for first responders and firefighters. Thank you for supporting these businesses as thanks for their help in our community's relief efforts.
October news at the Co-op
October is typically Co-op month, to highlight how differently cooperatives do business. But instead of talking about the 7 Cooperative Principles, or the ownership benefits of being part of the Co-op, we only need to look at the past four weeks to see what being a cooperative really means.
As part of the co-op family, you've helped the entire community immensely.
Lecture recording: "Nutrition for autism and related conditions"
Lisa Shelton, BioIndividual Nutrition Practitioner & Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, put together this recording to discuss nutrition for autism and related conditions including, ADHD, anxiety, and learning disorders as well as strategies for picky eating.
Click here to watch the lecture at your convenience.
Password: p!=Fw6R7
Support Co-op staff to rebuild
The Ashland Food Co-op is dedicated to helping our community and our staff rebuild after the Almeda Fires in early September.
For immediate support, the Co-op gave $1,000 to staff who lost their homes in the fires, as well as $250 for food and other household needs for anyone displaced due to a level 3 evacuation order.
Change for Good in September: Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
For the month of September, Ashland Food Co-op shoppers can round up at the register to support Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. Since 1973, SOLC has been working on multiple fronts to improve land quality and conservation for humans and nature alike. Check out some of the projects below that SOLC has been working on recently. And mark your calendar for Saturday, October 24, as SOLC hosts an Open Lands Day hike and tour on the Rogue River Preserve.
Free Monday Night Lecture - Some Cool Science about Breathing
Join Kelly Martin as she explains how your breath impacts everything from ankle sprains to headaches. Learn why belly breathing isn't good for you, how to breathe correctly, and how to maximize lung health, improve posture, enhance walking efficiency, reduce anxiety, and improve sports performance.
Access the Zoom recording here.
Zoom access password: 2zu@KQWU
Chatting about community giving with JPR's "Jefferson Exchange"
Recently, Julie O'Dwyer, Ashland Food Co-op board vice-president, joined a panel of guests on Jefferson Public Radio's "Jefferson Exchange" to discuss how the pandemic has led to an even greater need for community giving and support of local non-profits.
Change for Good in August: KS Wild
This month's featured organization in the new Change for Good register round-up program is KS Wild (short for Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center).
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Get to know Ashland Emergency Food Bank
The sixth cooperative principle, "Concern for Community," has become even more important since the pandemic began and economies, locally and globally, started to constrict. To address this, the Board of Directors agreed in April to release 100% of patronage dividends and designate Ashland Emergency Food Bank as a donation option for those dividends - resulting in over $20,000 in donations. And with the early launch of Change for Good register round-up, AEFB was a natural choice to receive round-up donations.
July / August GM Update: Walking the Walk
I wrote at the beginning of the year that the Co-op model of business was a blueprint for the future. The concept of “planet, principles and people before profit” is a guide for how cooperatives can run a successful business that puts more back into the community and local economy than national chains, while using less resources and creating less waste.
2020 Co-op Election Results
2020 Co-op Election Results
Ashland Food Co-op owners voted for three open seats on the Board of Directors, and for ten non-profit organizations for the Change for Good register round-up program.
Click a name below to read more about that Co-op Board member.
A statement from the Board of Directors on racial justice
Dear Ashland Food Cooperative Family and Community,
Co-op Owners Step-Up to Support the Ashland Emergency Food Bank!
AFC and AEFB Press Release - Local Strength!
Release Date: 5-26-2020
In April, the Ashland Food Co-op Board of Directors announced to the community that the Co-op would be returning 100% of the 2019 Patronage Dividend to its owners. The 100% Patronage Dividend return to Co-op owners converted to over $628,000.
The Co-op Board felt in this time of great need it was not the right time for the Co-op to put away funds for the future, but rather to support owners fully so they may have more strength to weather these stormy times.