by Ashwini Rao, Board member
I can’t believe it’s November already! The pandemic continues to disrupt our lives in more ways than one can imagine. However, there are a lot of things we can be grateful for. I, for one, am thankful for wonderful friends, a loving family, and the immensely supportive community that surrounds me. What about you? What are you grateful for?
This past August, the Co-op Board welcomed two new members and one returning member. We welcome Carol Weidel to the Board in this issue of the Reader.
Meet the Board: Carol Weidel
What was your first memory of Willy Street Co-op?
In the late ’70s, I was one of four students renting a house on Jenifer Street, in a cooperative household. When the chore wheel pointed to shopping, the assigned person shopped at the Co-op, then housed at 1202 Williamson. That was before the expansion into the appliance store. The food was healthy, and the space was tiny.
How did you first learn about cooperatives, and what was the first co-op you joined?
I think it was Group Health Cooperative that first introduced me to co-ops. Later I joined State Capital Employees Credit Union which is “Summit Credit Union” today. Both of these co-ops have changed their bylaws and operations greatly over the years.
What do you rely on Willy Street Co-op for? How would you describe the co-op to someone who has never been/ a potential new member?
Willy Street Co-op is my first choice for food. The bulk aisle has fresh ground peanut butter and spice choices we can purchase in small quantities. I missed it when the pandemic forced the entire bulk operation to stop. The classes offered get better all the time. The Co-op shows its concern for community with the CHIP program, options for foodshare users, and its many grants to community organizations.
What are your top three favorite Willy Street Co-op foods?
Fresh ground peanut butter, Bunky’s Hummus, fresh produce in the winter.
Do you have any favorite food traditions?
My family traditions were simply home-cooked, and home-baked.
Besides being a Willy Street Co-op Board member, what else do you like to do with your time?
In 2019 I moved into Linden Co-housing on Winnebago, after five years of planning for this inclusive caring community. We share resources among 45 households in our self-contained units. We have common spaces where we can work and play together, and celebrate as much as we can. Common meals, and many meetings make it all work.
Because I’m retired from paid employment, I have time to volunteer for WORT, deliver food to those who need it, work on electoral campaigns, and more.
What are you most excited about in being a new Board member, and what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges the Co-op will face over the next few years?
The natural foods industry is facing many changes since the pandemic kept people at home. I want to be part of this new direction and I know our Co-op Principles will help us thrive.
Is there anything else you’d like our Owners to know?
I was a union member and officer for many years. One Owner, one vote: this is how co-ops and unions operate.