Open House on 5/22!
Welcome to our May newsletter. We now have over 690 paid members! If you want to join us and you haven't yet, please do so here:
https://charlesriverfood.coop/join
Our next membership goal is to get to 850 members by July 1. You can help us spread the word by forwarding this email, printing and posting a flier on a local community bulletin board, or sharing our posts on social media.
Board/Volunteer Open House: May 22nd, 8:00pm on Zoom
Are you interested in helping us out this year or running for a position on our Board of Directors? If you are a member, you are eligible to run for a board seat! We’ll be holding an Open House on Zoom on Monday May 22 at 8pm if you’d like to ask questions and learn how the co-op works - and how you can help out. We’ll do a quick presentation about how the board works and volunteer opportunities, and then be open for a Q&A! Register here:
https://forms.gle/PXRBQSMKjUEGeC4q6
Our biggest volunteering need right now is a Treasurer, so if you or anyone you know has a finance or accounting background, please encourage them to attend our Open House or reach out to us to see how they can help!
In addition to the Open House, our board meetings are open for all current members to attend. Please reach out to us at info@charlesriverfood.coop if you have any questions about running for the board or if you’d like an invitation to join our meetings.
Member Spotlight
This month we’re featuring Josette Akresh-Gonzales (Member #421). Thanks for being a member of the co-op, Josette!
What town do you live in?
Waltham, MA
What do you do for work and/or for fun?
For work, I'm a manuscript editor at The New England Journal of Medicine; for fun, I write poetry, read (a lot), go out with my husband and get together with friends, cook, bake, watch a lot of TV, and take walks in the woods.
Why did you decide to become a member of the co-op?
I learned how to cook and bake after my husband and I moved to Watertown and discovered Russo's in 2003. The amazing variety of vegetables and products and baked goods and cheeses invited us to try new recipes. Over the years, we really got used to having access to amazingly fresh and affordable food. We also joined a CSA share about 10 years ago, and that also strengthened our resolve to support local nonprofits and collectives. The promise of a food co-op — its dedication to quality and co-ownership, its ethical authority, and its accessibility — appeals to me in a profound way.
What is your favorite fruit or vegetable and how do you prepare it?
My favorite fruit is Cortland apples, and I make apple pie with them. They are tart, crisp, sweet but not too sweet. You can eat them raw, and they're delicious. Slices in a pie don't break down into mush but get soft and caramelized while holding their shape.
Election Timeline Update
We’ll be running our first board election coming up soon! You can learn more about the elections and ask questions at our Open House on May 22 at 8pm.
Our timeline is as follows:
May: Finalize board election process; determine date for Owner Meeting; hold Board/Volunteer Open House
June: Finalize site for Owner Meeting; meet with board candidates 1:1
July: Board candidate packets published; finalize election results committee
August: Finalize Owner Meeting agenda + Promote it!
September: Owner Meeting/Election; announcing results of election
October: Determine board named officer positions
Community News
Waltham Farmers Market Looking for Volunteers
Our friends at the Waltham Farmers Market wanted to pass on a big opportunity for our co-op members and wider community that they are looking for volunteers for their market season. Check out their flyer here for more info:
https://bit.ly/walthamfarmers23
Speak out for worker-owned co-ops in MA!
We are a hybrid consumer + worker-owned co-operative at Charles River FC, and we saw this initative around helping other co-ops raise funds for technical assistance:
...ask your Senator to co-sponsor 2 budget amendments that would help worker owned cooperatives in Massachusetts:
1) Senator Gomez's budget amendment #143 supports a $1.7m in grants and loan guarantees to worker owned cooperatives, and
2) Senator Pavel Payano’s budget amendment #202 allocates funds to that worker owned cooperatives can use to access technical assistance.
Find out more at:
Co-op Principles: Voluntary + Open Membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all people able to use its services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
We commonly get this question at our booth during events: "Will I have to work at the store to be a member?", and the answer is: No! Our members are either consumers who shop at the store, or employees of the store who choose to become owners and participate in the co-op's development.
As always - thank you so much to all of you for your support and please spread the word by forwarding this email to a few friends.
In co-operation,
The Charles River Food Co-op Board
(Nick, Melissa, Thomas, Tim, Christina, Lissa, Lew, Benny, & Jen)
P.S. If you missed any of our previous newsletters, you can find them here.