by Kirsten Moore, Co-op Services Director
It’s the holiday season, and while the holidays can mean a lot of different things to different people, for many, it’s time to think about generosity. For us, that’s all about Co-op Principle 7: Concern for Community. While we continue to focus on the needs of the cooperative, we can also support the sustainability and success of our community. There are all kinds of ways to support the community when you shop at the Co-op. In addition to supporting local farmers, local producers, and a local workforce whenever you shop, you can support Community Shares of Wisconsin’s 70+ member nonprofits when you add a Community CHIP™ at the registers, donate to the Double Dollars fund using our donation scan cards, or help the Co-op contribute to the Double Dollars fund with every bag you reuse at checkout. If you ever end your Co-op Ownership, you can decide to have your equity donated to charitable causes and we use that equity to support a variety of different types of community programs. Check out some of the recent and current opportunities to give back at the Co-op.
Double Dollars Tuesdays In Progress
Starting October 1 we began accepting Co-op Double Dollars vouchers customers received last year, and from October 19 to March 8 Double Dollars will continue to be distributed at all retail locations on Double Dollars Tuesdays. Customers who use their FoodShare/QUEST (SNAP) benefits when they shop on Tuesdays are eligible to receive Double Dollars vouchers for every $5 they spend on their EBT card, up to $20. The vouchers can be used at any Co-op retail location, any day of the week, during business hours from October through May (unused vouchers can be saved for the following October). Co-op Double Dollars vouchers are good for any item in our Produce department; canned and frozen fruits, vegetables, and legumes; and seeds and seedlings for edible plants to grow in your garden.
Double Dollars is a Community-Supported Program
Double Dollars is a City of Madison and Dane County program administered by the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin. From late fall to mid-spring, Double Dollars are available at the Co-op, and from June to late fall, Double Dollars are available at participating farmers’ markets while funds last. The vouchers are largely supported by donations and when customers reuse grocery bags to shop at the Co-op. If you haven’t yet supported the Fund, but want to get involved, you can do so two ways: by choosing $1, $5, $10, or $25 Double Dollars Fund scan cards at the cash registers to add a cash donation to your receipt at checkout, or by simply reusing bags when you shop at the Co-op. When you bring reusable bags for your shopping trip, we’ll save 10¢ to contribute to the fund. All monies that go to the Double Dollars Fund are sent to Community Action Coalition to administer the program. If you are using our E-commerce program, Double Dollars Fund contributions can be made there as well! Visit shop.willystreet.coop and search “Double Dollars” to find donation options.
Cash donations via the scan cards at our registers and donations made via shop.willystreet.coop are tax-deductible.
Support the Double Dollars Fund, We’ll Match For Local Food Pantries
Supporting the Double Dollars Fund in November and December counts double! All November and December we’ll give a 1:1 match on your cash donations and bag reuse. When you make a cash donation or reuse bags to support Double Dollars, we will match up to $10,000 of your support by providing matching funds to our five neighborhood food pantries: Goodman Community Center Fritz Food Pantry, Lussier Community Education Center, Middleton Outreach Ministry, The River Food Pantry, and Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center. The match will be split five ways and provided in Co-op gift cards for the pantries to acquire fresh items that are harder to come by in the winter season. Like Wisconsin FoodShare benefits, reliance on food pantries remains high due to COVID-19, and this is a great way to support shoppers using FoodShare and those who rely on other food sources at this time.
The Double Dollars match benefiting our food pantry partners is made possible through abandoned and donated Owner equity. When Owners leave the Co-op, their equity invested belongs to them and they are given the option to have their equity refunded or to donate it to use for charitable purposes such as this match. Please join us in celebrating the generosity of our past Owners by participating in the Double Dollars match program this holiday season.
Community Reinvestment Fund Seeking Committee Members
The Co-op seeks a Co-op Owner-At-Large to serve on the Community Reinvestment Fund grant committee. Each year, the Co-op allocates a certain amount of abandoned Owner equity to provide small grants to local nonprofits and cooperatives for project work. The committee is responsible for reviewing the project grant proposals and making recommendations to the Co-op’s Board of Directors for award approval. Committee members must be available from 6-9pm between February 14 and March 4 for two meetings. Time outside of meetings is required to review documents and a reception for the grant winners and committee members will be scheduled the week of April 25. Ideal candidates have backgrounds in at least one of the following program focuses: food justice and/or access, creating cooperatives, sustainable agriculture, health and wellbeing, and/or social change.
If you are interested in applying, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than November 14 with brief resume details and information about your interest and qualifications to serve.
$13,530 Donated By Customers and Past Owners to Direct Relief
From September 10-October 3 the Co-op raised a grand total of $13,530 through customer donations for Direct Relief. 100% of those funds have been sent to Direct Relief for their response to Hurricane Ida, the earthquake in Haiti, west coast wildfires, and severe weather in the US. This donation campaign provided yet another means for us to apply abandoned equity from past Owners to charitable causes. The Co-op matched all donations 1:1 starting September 20 with abandoned equity, and $3,559.05 of the grand total was thanks to Co-op matching. Direct Relief is one of the largest nonprofits dedicated to providing disaster recovery and humanitarian assistance in partnership with local groups and our collective contribution will help provide medical supplies, medicine, personal protective equipment, and aid to healthcare agencies and first responders. Direct Relief’s donation policy ensures that 100 percent of all designated contributions for specific programs or emergency responses are used only on expenses related to supporting that program or response. They are also a GuideStar Platinum charity with a four-star rating on Charity Navigator. If you are interested in continuing your support for this cause, you can give to Direct Relief and learn more on their website at www.directrelief.org. A big thanks to everyone who made a contribution to this special campaign, our cashiers who made the asks to give, and our past Owners who helped make matching gifts possible.
Cooperative Generosity
The holidays look a little different in every family system and every community. This year, the holidays will likely not look like the holidays of 2020, but they might still look and feel a bit different than the holidays of the past. No matter how big or small your family or community may be, we hope that by continuing to cooperate together we can continue to take part in making your holidays special and provide opportunities to collectively show generosity and love to the people all around us. Thank you for your continued kindness, giving, and support.