By Emile Amarotico, General Manager

It’s been two months since my last update on our Co-op community, but it could just as well have been two years ago, or from an alternate reality! Needless to say, life at the Co-op has changed, and it hasn’t been easy for employees or shoppers. But despite the challenges, it has been an inspiring and reaffirming time that reminds us why we love the cooperative enterprise.

It is impossible not to be proud of the care and compassion the Co-op community has shown since the coronavirus began to impact our daily lives. That started with the Co-op Board of Directors deciding unanimously that 100% of the over $600,000 patronage dividends for 2019 should be returned to owners. In most years, a portion of that amount is retained for future development and reinvestment in Co-op operations, but knowing the financial insecurity that many are facing in light of the pandemic, we wanted to maximize assistance to our community. One shopper let us know they had not yet received any unemployment benefits, so their dividend return was literally keeping food on the table.

For others, the 100% dividend was an opportunity for charity. With the option to donate dividends to the Ashland Emergency Food Bank, over $15,000 has already been donated to help those facing food insecurity.

There’s also been no lack of volunteer support. At the beginning of April, the CDC and other health authorities began to recommend face coverings in public. With the aim of protecting Co-op employees without taking away medical-grade N95 masks from health care workers, a group of six community members, led by board member Julie O’Dwyer, stitched together enough masks for each employee to have a fresh one each day. Thanks again to Joe Dunbar, Erin McConnell, Erica Thompson, board member Trine Ostergaard, Jenni Presley, and Cindy Goodwin for their selfless work. Additionally, we’re seeing neighbors arrive with large shopping lists to pick up groceries for vulnerable neighbors.

Of course, there have been difficulties. We celebrate the diverse backgrounds and viewpoints that the Rogue Valley nurtures, and have tried to accommodate everyone without being overly restrictive. But there’s no blueprint for businesses or individuals on how to navigate a global pandemic, so we know we won’t get it right 100% of the time. Please know that we are looking to healthcare professionals and national examples of other co-ops and grocery stores to keep safety as the main priority. We hope that you’ll continue to support our employees and each other with patience and kindness (and masks, too!).

Summer is just around the corner and we hope that we might return to something resembling where we were this time last year. We will continue to provide great customer service, healthy food, support for local growers and producers, and warmth and caring to the best of our ability and within the guidelines of health experts. Thanks for being part of what makes this Co-op and our community such a great place to be, and for rising to the challenge of doing our best for our neighbors.