October Change for Good Partner: AFC Gives Community Fund
October's Change for Good Partner is
AFC Gives Community Fund
The Ashland Food Co-op has been providing support to nonprofits for over two decades. The AFC Gives Community Fund helps us support grassroots programs, respond to emergencies, and fund local projects along with Community Grants. Through the cumulative register donations over the course of this month, shoppers will help support this work in 2023 and beyond.
In 2020, we helped support our community following the devastation of the Almeda Fires.
With funds raised from the Change for Good months, we were able to contribute to these organizations:
MRG Foundation, Rogue Action Center, My Valley, SOEQUITY, UNETE, Jackson County School District #4, SOESD, Maslow Project, Family Nurturing Center, La Clinca, Our Family Farms, Ashland Schools Foundation, Rogue Food Unites, Remake Talent - Holiday Relief Event, Cascade Builders Association, and Rogue Valley Farm to School
In 2022, Ashland Food Co-op made a donation from the Community Fund, along with other co-ops across the nation, to a Disaster Recovery Fund organized by National Co+op Grocers (NCG) Cooperation, Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) and National Co-op Business Association of the United States (NCBA CLUSA) to Co-op Ukraine to support cooperatives impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Here's a look at what projects the 2021 Community Grants supported:
Bee Girl used Community Grant funds to support thousands of local bees by planting flowers in pastures to feed honey bees, native bees, and local livestock.
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Happy Smiles helps students receive free dental health education, dental screenings, and preventive dental services at a local elementary school.
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Bellview Elementary School students building a Hugelkultur to retain water and offer nutrients to the berries that will be planted there later this month.
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“A very nice man with a host of health issues is living in his vehicle. He was out of gas and waiting for his monthly check. He asked our volunteer for a gas card, and when she also offered a Co-op gift card, he broke out in tears and hugged her.” -from St. Vincent De Paul
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Karen Taylor from Rogue Community College facilitates building water swales to divert and maximize rain water and Grange gutter water to plants in the Emerging Futures Network Food Forest.
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Rogue Action Center used Community Grant funds to open a resource and navigation center in Talent where fire recovery staff is meeting with survivors to fill out housing applicants, Oregon rental assistance applications and connecting them to other housing and financial assistance resources.
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‘Hope for the Holidays’ provided ten families, who were survivors of the Almeda Fire, with holiday meals. The wish behind the program was to provide a few comforts of “home” during the cold winter months for families who lost their homes and are still in temporary housing. -from Heart Rising
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Oftentimes, students come to the Asante Ashland Community Hospital School Nurse Program with physical ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, and fatigue requesting medication to alleviate their symptoms, when their symptoms are actually caused by a lack of food or hydration. Having gift cards from the Co-op has given students access to healthy snacks and reduced the need for unnecessary over-the-counter medication administration, while providing an opportunity to educate students regarding the direct relationship between food/nutrition and how they feel.
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Josephine County Food Bank made their first purchase of biodegradable containers. They are “so excited to accomplish their primary goal of feeding people and at the same time relieved that [they] are not contributing plastic to the landfill.”
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Be the Change Rogue used these funds to promote Rogue To Go. Marketing the program has been helpful in reaching a wide audience, both eaters (customers) and eateries (participating restaurants), to help expand Rogue To Go across the Rogue Valley and reduce single use waste for to-go meals.
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Any of Walker Elementary's 225 students who find themselves without a snack at school are able to have a good one, thanks in part to these funds! Walker PTO particularly appreciates the nut-free and gluten free snack options the Co-op stocks, to enable them to feed all Walker students regardless of dietary restrictions.
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Pollinator Project Rogue Valley utilized the funds to put in a 27’ x 18’ seeding area at the Ashland Emergency Food Bank to grow native pollinator plants to share with the community. Assuming success, the plants, and later their seeds, will be shared through plant sales and also garden contributions through their ‘From Fire to Flowers’ program.
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In 2022, AFC Gives has awarded $25,150 to 17 organizations!
Congratulations to these local nonprofit organizations who are receiving funding for their projects:
St Vincent De Paul
La Clinica
Walker PTO
Siskiyou School
Ashland Emergency Food Bank
Consumer Credit Counseling of Southern Oregon
Armadillo Technical Institute
Cascade Girl
Ashland Schools Foundation
Emerging Futures at Bellview Grange
Jackson County Library Foundation
Tish McFadden at Multicultural Association of S.O.
Folk Soul Farm
Ashland Parks Foundation
White Oak Farm & Education Center
Cave Junction Farmers Market
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If you are a local nonprofit interested in future funding from AFC Gives, visit ashlandfood.coop/afcgives to learn more and sign up to receive e-mail notifications when applications open.
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The Community Fund helps AFC Gives support grassroots programs, respond to emergencies, and fund local projects.
What is Change for Good?
The AFC Gives committee focuses on ways that the Co-op community can support local organizations and groups doing important work in the Rogue Valley.
2020 was the first year of Change for Good, a register round-up program to benefit a slate of ten organizations, voted on by Co-op owners, through the cumulative donations of shoppers choosing to round-up their shopping total to the nearest dollar.
From one cent to 99 cents, it all adds up to feeling good about supporting the community.
More Co-op News
Be the Sustainable Change
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
Sustainability is not a new concept at the Co-op. It has always been part of our DNA. We’ve been using sustainable business practices before it was the “cool”, “responsible” thing to do. In fact, the Co-op was founded 45 years ago largely on the principles of sustainable, local organic food production as an alternative to modern industrial agriculture.
A New Look
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
For 45 years we’ve been loving local and fostering community. Throughout our almost half a century history, our identity and logo has gone through many iterations.
Some of you might remember the logo above from our newsletter in the early 1980s.
As we’ve done multiple times throughout our history, it’s time to refresh our brand and launch a beautiful, new logo to take us into the next decade.
Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili is one of my favorite Co+op Basics recipes. It is full of flavor, color and shatters the myth that a healthy meal has to cost a fortune and take all day to prepare. This recipe is also a clever way to use sweet potatoes, which are not only tasty but high in fiber and vitamin A.
Looking to Save Money at the Co-op?
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
We hear from time to time that people feel the Co-op is higher priced than other stores. In the past, we may have earned this perception. But not anymore. We took a long, hard look at ourselves and we talked with other Co-ops across the country. Together, we are pooling our resources to bring you organic, household staples at everyday competitive, low prices. Welcome to Co+op Basics.
45 Years Strong
On Valentine’s Day, the Ashland Food Co-op turns 45 years old.
It’s hard to imagine we’ve been providing healthy, organic food to the Rogue Valley for almost half a century. From our humble beginnings as the Ashland Community Food Store to now a thriving Co-op with over 10,000 owners, it has been an honor to serve this community.
Let’s take a brief stroll down memory lane and see how far we’ve come in 45 years.
Saving Paper One Coupon at a Time
To further our sustainability efforts and to serve you better, we began offering Electronic Owner Coupons this month at the register.
No more forgetting to bring your owner coupons. No more waiting for your newsletter to arrive. Cashiers will simply ask if you want to use your owner coupons when you check out.
A few key points to remember:
Thank YOU For a Wonderful Year!
2016 had many notable moments. We hosted many successful family friendly events, added 150 more solar panels to our roof, and earned 25% of our sales for local products. We proudly donated over $24,000 to area nonprofits through our Community Grants program. We welcomed 482 new owners and averaged 3,500 daily transactions.
Whew! And that is just a small sample.
Give Local
The food holiday season has finally arrived. This time of year is by far our most favorite. We’ve been dreaming of gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, turkey (or tofurky if that’s your fancy) and eggnog for months.
But beyond the holiday feasts, we love this time of year for another reason. It’s the season of giving. Amidst the shopping frenzies, family gatherings, and parties, giving back often becomes an afterthought.
Happy Thanks-chicken!
We know, we know, November is all about turkey. But let us not forget the other, other white meat this holiday season. Chicken. This poultry meat often gets the spotlight, but during the month of November it is well deserved. Why? Because all month long, every time you purchase a Smart Chicken® product at the Co-op you help feed a hungry family in the Rogue Valley.
Here’s how it works:
Co-ops Grow Communities
Co-ops around the world share a set of guiding principles including “cooperation among cooperatives,” and “concern for community.” We take these principles to heart.
When you shop at the Co-op, you aren’t just buying groceries. You are supporting a business that cares about people and contributes to a livable, sustainable Rogue Valley.
Did you know?
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In 2015, we donated over $24,000 to area nonprofits.
Feed an (Italian) army with Co+op Basics
My Italian Grandmother’s heart swells every time she sees my well-stocked pantry. I am prepared to feed an army at a moment’s notice, and sometimes that actually happens with my big family. But what my Grandma doesn’t know is how much I save by stocking my pantry with Co+op Basics products.
We Love Local
We take pride in supporting local farmers, producers, vendors and vintners. When we say local, we mean local. At some grocery stores, the word local gets thrown around like the word “natural,” ambiguously and with a broad definition.
But local means something to us. A definition we take meticulous pride in.
Local adjective
Any food or product grown, produced or made within 200 miles.
Let’s use it in a sentence. The Ashland Food Co-op supports an average of 250 local companies.
Wanted: Wormy Apples, Fallen Plums & Over Ripe Pears
Urban fruit is copious this time of year in the Rogue Valley. It’s hard, dare we say impossible, to make enough pies, cobblers, and salads to keep up with the backyard abundance.
So what do you do with all that unpicked fruit?
Instead of letting your pears, plums and apples go to waste, or to feed the deer, bring them to the Co-op for collection.
Apple Outlaw Cider, in collaboration with the local community, is setting out to create a one of a kind hard cider, dubbed “Apple Outlaw Community Cider”.
Fire Up The Grill
Break out of your dinner rut with something fast and juicy. The Meat Department staff share their go-to favorites to throw on the grill. Flame on, baby!
Brian Swift
Flat Iron is my favorite steak. So simple to cook. Just add salt, pepper, garlic, and cook it on a super hot grill. 5 minutes later you have an amazing steak.
Sam Roberts
TriTip marinated in our Kinders barbeque sauce, seared on both sides with a little pink in the middle, is what I really enjoy the most.
Summer Picnic Guide
Everyone loves a picnic. But some are better at organizing one than others. Make planning the perfect picnic a breeze with our easy picnic guide.