Update from the Board of Directors
It has been a tough summer, especially for those directly affected by the Caldor Fire. Several of our staff members were evacuated; because of the chaos brought on by the need to temporarily locate, some days our staffers just couldn’t get in to work, meaning that we had to run the store short-handed; other times the air quality was so bad it was difficult to find the stamina to do even the simplest of tasks.
Yet through it all the CO-OP persevered. Right from the beginning of the fire emergency, our Interim General Manager, Regina Miranda, began reaching out to find ways the CO-OP could help. Literally hundreds of members of our local community contributed to relief efforts for fire victims by participating in our grocery donation program. Dozens of volunteers showed up to pack grocery bags and boxes for us to deliver to the various evacuation sites across the county. Even as families are allowed to return to their homes, the CO-OP has continued to do all it can to help those who were displaced and will need some extra assistance while things creep back toward normal.
To my mind, this is what a CO-OP is all about: being an integral part of the community; being a place that can help to organize efforts to aid our friends, family, and neighbors in times of crisis; dipping into its own resources to contribute in ways that make a difference. Our volunteers, our members, our staff demonstrated why where we live is so special. I could not be prouder of our community and the CO-OP for those efforts.
On another note, we are in the final stages of onboarding our new General Manager. As you all know, we conducted an extensive national search for a new GM. Watch for an announcement in the coming weeks for more details. We thank Regina for her great work as interim GM while we were completing our search.
In the meantime, be sure to follow us both on Facebook and Instagram (while you stay safe and healthy!
Joe
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