October Change for Good Partner: AFC Gives Community Fund
October's Change for Good Partner is
AFC Gives is the philanthropic arm of the Ashland Food Co-op. Nothing means more to us than contributing to the health and strength of our community. To build upon this mission we have developed two funding programs to support the good work that is happening in our community:
Change for Good and Community Grants.
Our Community Grants program has given back to our local nonprofits’ projects for more than two decades, supporting grassroots programs, giving support for small projects, and having funds on hand to respond to emergency issues in our region.
Each year, the Ashland Food Co-op's Board of Directors designates a small percentage of sales from the previous year to fund AFC's Community Grants program. As you shop during the month of October, we invite you to round up your bill to add to the pool AFC Gives will donate next year to fund worthy projects in our community.
These funds support local projects that align with our vision of enhancing health and enriching the community while promoting our mission to provide education about food, nutrition, and health. These local organizations are the heartbeat of our community, and we are proud to contribute these grants to assist in funding projects that are either already in the works or ready to get funded.
Our Community Grants Application is open until 9 PM on October 13th, 2021.
In 2020, we proudly donated over $24,000 to 27 area nonprofit organizations doing excellent work within our community.
Organizations' Projects funded by 2020 Community Grants:
Applegate Neighborhood Network
“The funding provided by the Ashland Food Coop Gives Grant Program was utilized by Applegate Neighborhood Network to purchase nursery stock from Applegate Valley based native plant nursery and seed company, Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds. A small group of volunteers worked within existing COVID 19 restrictions to facilitate the planting of 257 native flowering plants (14 separate species) and the seeding of 15 native species beneficial to native pollinators in the Applegate River watershed. The funding from AFC was utilized to buy native nursery stock and the native seed was donated by Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds. The planting took place on November 19, 2020.”
Armadillo Technical Institute
Culture of Peace Commissions
Ashland Supportive Housing and Community Outreach
.jpeg)
Bee Girl
“The Regenerative Bee Pasture project aims to develop a data-driven low maintenance, nutrient-dense, and inexpensive flower-rich pasture system for pasture managers to create an environmentally and economically improved landscape for livestock and bees.”
Bellview Grange
“Despite the pandemic, Bellview Grange was able to complete soil preparation, fencing, and move two inappropriate volunteer pine trees from the site of the small Food Forest at Bellview Grange, between the Grange Hall and Bellview Elementary School. Although we were not able to complete the outreach to schools and homeowners associations as planned, Grange members participated in the development of Southern Oregon Food Solutions' food waste reduction brochure , and maintained liaison with Emerging Futures Network and the regional Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District, in preparation for continuing the planned food forest, rain garden and bio-swale areas around the Grange Hall, once it is safe to meet in person.”
Cave Junction Farmers' Market
“Our AFC Gives grant helped to provide sustainable farming "take home" projects for our Cultivate Kids Program. We were able to provide 26 different projects, from "growing your own pickles" (providing free plants, instructions for growing and pickle recipes) to "planting for pollinators" and materials to make a flower press, and provided enough materials for 30 kids each week over the course of the market season.”
Cultivate Oregon
“When COVID-19 shut down schools, emptied grocery store shelves and sparked a nation-wide run on seeds, Cultivate Oregon saw an emerging need and adapted to help provide seeds for the growing season. Through Cultivate Oregon's program, Seeds to the People, we sent reclaimed and donated seeds to over 50 families across Oregon who were food insecure, and in need. Ashland Food Coop funding was the primary reason we were able to launch and run this program (quickly) so that families were mailed seeds to help them grow their own food, and increase their food security into the future.”
Raptor Creek Farm operated by The Josephine County Food Bank
“The AFC grant allowed us to purchase mulch and compost for the 16 raised bed and each bed is freshly filled, ready for the growing season. It had been 5 years since the last time the beds had been filled. An AmeriCorps team joined us this season and pulled out the weeds around the fence and now 4" of bark mulch surrounds each bed. Members of the community garden are thrilled.”
Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon
Options for Homeless Residents of Ashland and Options for Helping Residents of Ashland
“The AFC grant helped us purchase essential items and services for unhoused and other people impacted by the pandemic. Examples include birth certificates or ID cards, documents needed for work such as a state issued food handlers card or specific tools needed for employment or clothing like non-slip shoes.”
Outdoor Discovery Program Parent Advisory Committee (ODP PAC)
Phoenix Counseling Center, Inc.
Siskiyou Mountain Club
“We used funds for paying field staff who were working on the Rogue River Trail. They were leading interns to reduce erosion and maintain vegetation on the rugged slopes of this popular National Recreation Trail. They were able to restore approximately 10 miles of the trail.”
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now - SOCAN
Southern Oregon University Foundation
St. Vincent de Paul
“Our AFC grant enabled us to assist those who called on us in three ways: helping people into housing by assisting with rental deposits; helping those in need stay housed by assisting with rent payments (especially important during this pandemic when so many service workers have been unemployed); and assisting needy families with utility payments during these cold winter months.”
Vesper Meadow Education Program
“Support from AFC went towards establishing our Native Food Plant Program through (1) the engagement with youth for education about native plants, (2) volunteer stewardship activities with members of the local public, and (3) initial partnership development with Tribes of record in SW Oregon. Thank you AFC!”
Medford School District Armadillo
The Parker House Project
HIV Alliance
“HIV Alliance used Ashland Food Co-Op funds to purchase nutritious food (e.g., holiday dinners, food bags) for approximately 30 Jackson County clients living with HIV who are unhoused and living on low incomes. This assistance was urgently needed and so helpful for our clients during COVID-19, when they have experienced increased barriers to services and other serious challenges that affect their ability to meet basic nutrition needs.”
White Oak Farm & Education Center
Ashland Community Hospital Foundation
Ashland Emergency Food Bank
“The Ashland Emergency Food Bank was able to provide a complete basket of healthy food to struggling families & individuals in our area. We served 1600 people per month at the Food Bank. Funding from the Ashland Food Co-op helped to feed the food-insecure in our community, including victims of the fire and those affected by the pandemic’s consequences.”
Helman Elementary School PTA
“The 2020-2021 school year has been unlike any other. With the pandemic, distance learning, and the first-day-of-school wildfire, we had a lot of families experiencing terrible emotional and financial stress. Helman Elementary School's PTA has provided weekend food backpacks for as many as 17 different households every Friday throughout the school year and we could not have done it without the support of the $1,000 AFC Gives grant we received. Thank you so much for your support of these families and for recognizing that healthy food equals healthy communities!”
Southern Oregon ESD - Migrant Education Program
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
Meet class instructor, Joette Calabrese
This class instructor profile is connected to the February 27 free lecture, "You, Too, Can Beat the Flu!"
On an early Kolkata (Calcutta) morning, thick crowds gather outside the gates of the hospital while officials yell out "Brain tumor, kidney failure, cancer patients form a line here!” Hopeful patients, family members and caregivers arrange themselves by disease symptom.
What to do with all this citrus?!
So you grabbed a few too many extra oranges and grapefruits and lemons (and some finger limes, and some satsumas…), and rather than watch them go bad, we want to provide you with some ideas on how to reduce waste. You’ll also get to enjoy citrus in a lot of new ways!
There are many guides and recipes across the internet (like this one by our friends at Grow Forage Cook Ferment), so here are a few ideas to get your creative and citrus juices flowing.
Update from the General Manager: "Food for Paradise" campaign
Ashland Food Co-op's General Manager, Emile Amarotico, ends 2018 on a very uplifting note with a report back on the "Food for Paradise" donation campaign. Watch the video below, or read on for an extended written update.
Hello, this is Emile Amarotico, the general manager of Ashland Food Co-op with an update on the Co-op’s Food for Paradise initiative.
5 Fresh Ways to Save at the Co-op
We’ve all been there: your bank account is looking thin after a month of celebrations, but you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to save up for a big purchase later in the year
Now’s the time to make some changes to your spending - but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality goods at the Ashland Food Co-op.
These are some lesser known ways to save at the Co-op. Think of them like ordering off the secret menu.
Savings Level: $
Board Report: How "Food For Paradise" Got Started
By Mira Wonderwheel, Board of Directors
4 Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste
It’s the New Year, our favorite time for goal-setting, making positive resolutions, and shifting our impact. One of the Co-op’s goals is to become a Zero Waste facility. Our staff works to divert as much food waste as we can - and we hope our member-owners will join us in this goal too.
2019 Community Grant Applications
The funding cycle for the 2019 Co-op Community Grants for nonprofit organizations begins in February.
Meet Cooking Class Instructor Charlie Douglass
Many talented local chefs share their expertise in the Co-op Kitchen. Charlie Douglass is no exception. As the former Master Chocolatier at Harry and David, Charlie knows a thing or two about chocolate and candy making.
Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.
Meet Cooking Class Instructor Tiazza Rose
Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.
Give the Gift of Wellness
Finding the perfect gift for a friend or loved one is an art. This winter, we carefully selected these assortments for those who love some good self-care, are working in partnership with their gut health, or for those making efforts to reduce their pain. Each of these gift ideas will help you make your loved ones feel extra special and extra healthful.
Give the Gift of Good Food
During the month of November, Co-op shoppers can nourish their own families and help fight hunger in the Rogue Valley. We’ve teamed up once again with Smart Chicken® for the Smart Giving Holiday Challenge.
Here’s how it works.
-
For every 10 pounds of Smart Chicken® you purchase from the Meat Department or the Deli, Smart Chicken® will donate one pound of chicken to a local non profit
We're All Turtles
By Dean Williamson, Board of Director
My grandmother loved to talk. Oh, could she talk! And she had one expression that I’ve always really liked. “If you come across a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be pretty sure it didn’t get there by itself.”
The Power of Principle Seven
By Emile Amarotico, General Manager
As we approach the holidays, I’d like to invoke the spirit of the Seventh Cooperative Principle: Concern for Community. The International Cooperative Alliance defines Principle Seven as when “cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.”
So how does that work? How does Ashland Food Co-op demonstrate concern for community?
The Co-op is Certified Organic! What does that mean?
By Barry Haynes, Store Manager
Did you know that the Ashland Food Co-op is the only Certified Organic Retailer in southern Oregon. Well, that’s great! But what does that actually mean?
Love Local with the Local Guy
Throughout September, we will be celebrating all things local. And no one loves local or is more local than our Temporary Demo Coordinator, Brighton Litjens. He was basically raised at the Co-op, has a strong passion for local farmers and producers and loves delighting shoppers with delicious samples and great deals. Who better to tell us about loving local than the "Local Guy" himself?
Tell us a bit about yourself.