Supporting Your Community at Home and Abroad
by Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
For over 45 years, the Co-op has been here for you, and in turn, you have supported the sustainable development of our community here and across the globe. Just this past month we met some major fundraising milestones together, and we’ve also continued supporting our neighbors in meeting their food and shopping needs. Let’s take a look at recent fundraising numbers, and review important dates coming up for our community food and nutrition programs.
Shoppers Contribute Over $22.3K in Relief Aid for Australia and Puerto Rico
Between January 21 and February 15, the Co-op raised $22,310 at the registers to support disaster relief from the wildfires in Australia and earthquakes in Puerto Rico. Funds were split evenly between two projects supported by Global Giving, a GuideStar Platinum charity with a four-star rating on Charity Navigator. Global Giving is a crowdfunding community connecting nonprofits, donors, and companies in 170 countries to access, tools, training, and support. Global Giving makes donating safe and easy by vetting the accountability and transparency of locally-driven organizations and their charitable work around the world. We are proud to support their Disaster Recovery Network.
Global Giving’s Australian Wildfires Relief Fund seeks $3 million for first responders to conduct search and rescue operations and meet survivors’ urgent needs (including shelter, medical care, food, and clean water). Once initial relief work is complete, this project will support longer-term recovery efforts run by local, vetted organizations in Australia.
Nuestra Escuela, an organization local to Puerto Rico, seeks $60,000 in funds via Global Giving to collect food, essentials and other products for families terribly impacted by the 717 earthquakes detected in the local region since December 28. They are also campaigning to collect construction materials to build new homes for affected families.
To continue support for these or other projects at Global Giving, visit their website at www.globalgiving.org. One-time and recurring donations can be set up for projects of your choice there. If interested in learning more online, the project we are supporting in Australia is Project 44385, and the project in Puerto Rico is Project 44888.
Thanks to all of our Owners and customers who took the time while shopping to generously donate to these important relief efforts. Also, special thanks to our many cashiers in the Front End departments at Willy East, Willy North, and Willy West, who supported this effort through their diligent asks to contribute to the relief campaign. You made a big difference for our neighbors around the world.
Double Dollars Distribution Ends March 10 For Season, Vouchers Redeemable Through May
There are two more Tuesdays (March 3 and 10) for customers benefiting from FoodShare/QUEST to receive up to $20 worth of Double Dollars vouchers when shopping the Co-op. For every $5 spent using FoodShare/QUEST for any FoodShare/QUEST eligible items, the Co-op will give one $5 Double Dollar voucher, up to $20. Vouchers can be used at any Willy Street Co-op retail location on any day through May 2020 (as funds allow the program to continue). Vouchers can be used to purchase any item from our Produce department; canned and frozen fruit, vegetables, and legumes; and seeds and seedlings for growing edible plants. Vouchers do not expire, any leftover vouchers from this season can be saved to redeem when our next Double Dollars season begins in October 2020. At the time of writing, 16 weeks into our 21 week distribution season for the year, customers participating in FoodShare/QUEST received just over $34,000 in Double Dollars vouchers to redeem.
Looking for Double Dollars after May? Double Dollars moves to local farmers’ markets in June. Get updates about participating markets, the program, and how you can participate or provide support at www.cacscw.org/get-help/food-security/double-dollars/.
Double Dollars Fund Raises Over $200,000 in Less Than 3 Years
The Double Dollars program at the Co-op and participating local farmers’ markets is made possible thanks to the Co-op’s Double Dollars Fund, Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, the City of Madison, the Madison Area Chefs’ Network, and other private funders. You can contribute to the Double Dollars Fund at the registers by selecting a scan card to make a cash donation or by reusing bags so that the Co-op can save the money to contribute to the Fund. Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 contributions to the Double Dollars Fund reached just over $44,000 at press time, and in mid-February, overall contributions since 2017 surpassed $200,000. Thank you for supporting the program with your cash donations and for reusing bags when you shop! It really adds up!
Access Discount Renewals Due March 31
The Access Discount Program is an Owner benefit available to those with a financial need and offers a 10% discount on your purchases as well as a longer time period to pay any outstanding Owner equity ($4 per year for Individual Owners, $7 per year for Household Owners). Owners enrolled in the program also receive a coupon for a free class and a reusable shopping bag.
When you enroll in the Access Discount Program, the benefit is activated through the calendar year. If you still have a financial need at the end of the year, you must renew by March 31 in order to continue receiving the benefit. The Co-op sent this year’s renewal reminders to current Access Discount participants in mid-February. Those who have not renewed by mid-March will receive a second reminder. To protect the privacy of our Owners, we do not provide renewal reminders at the registers.
Applying for the Access Discount is easy. Forms are available at the Customer Service desk, where you review a list of qualifiers for the program, indicate which qualifier applies to you, complete the form, and provide your signature to verify you agree to the terms of service. Current qualifiers include receiving support from the FoodShare/QUEST Program (SNAP); Medicaid (BadgerCare/Senior Care); the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); Section 8 Housing Assistance/Community Development Authority (HUD); the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program; Supplemental Security Income (SSI); Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI); the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); FairShare CSA Coalition Partner Shares; the Free or Reduced School Lunch and Breakfast Program; Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program; Wisconsin Works; Heat for Heroes; or Early Head Start/Head Start. Shoppers who are not receiving support from one of the programs listed also qualify to receive the Access Discount if their annual gross income within the last year has been at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG). FPG charts are available on the Access Discount form.
The Access Discount Program is supported by annual sales income. In FY2019 the Co-op distributed $244,505 in discounts via the program to 1,404 Owners. That means 0.4% of our sales support just about 4% of active Owners. When you shop, you support your Co-op and you support the Access Discount! Thank you!
Community CHIP® Donations Reach $3 million Milestone
Willy Street Co-op has been Community Shares of Wisconsin’s (CSW) Community CHIP partner since 1978, and has been CSW’s sole Community CHIP site since 2008 due to our dedication to funding CSW and their member nonprofits. In February, 2020, 42 years later, all the nickels, dimes, and dollars you’ve contributed at our registers passed the $3 million marker. Not only that, but your annual Community CHIP contributions have broken records year after year, and in FY2019, your annual contributions for the first time ever broke $300,000 at $302,710, a 14% increase over FY2018.
Congratulations! What an amazing milestone and testament to your commitment and concern for your community. The Community CHIP program, part of CSW, is a fundraising program in partnership with Willy Street Co-op‘s three locations. Simply say “yes” when asked if you’d like to CHIP at the register, and the cashier will add a 1% donation to your purchase (or any donation amount you tell the cashier to include). CSW is a nonprofit member-directed federation with 70 local nonprofit members supported in their network. For more information about CSW, a list of the member nonprofits they support, and information about how to become a member nonprofit organization, visit www.communityshares.com.
You Make a Difference in the Community Every Day
Cooperative Principle 7 is Concern for the Community, meaning cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities. The International Cooperative Alliance sees this principle as one that combines two elements of the Cooperative Values: “self-help and self-responsibility,” and “the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.” This past month: raising over $22,300 for natural disaster relief, raising over $200,000 for Double Dollars, raising over $3 million for Community Shares of Wisconsin; has provided some real markers of the kind of generous concern for the community our Owners and neighbors possess. Your loyalty and continuing to shop the Co-op has also allowed our Access Discount Program to continue to thrive and provide opportunities for more people to shop, own, and make a difference with us. On behalf of the Co-op, much gratitude.