Thanks to the Co-op

To the Editor,

In all honesty, I haven’t always been a consistent Co-op shopper. I used to go from one store for bulk items, to another for meat and produce, and yet another for specialty. Recently, that has changed. I have come to truly appreciate what it means to have the Co-op in our community.

From the beginning of COVID-19 quarantine, I felt the need to help people have access to food. I decided to volunteer at the Co-op for several weeks as a personal shopper for online orders. I was most comfortable at the Co-op because of the smaller volume of shoppers, and the social distancing and sanitation measures they had in place. The Co-op has been at the forefront in adapting to the current times, from having dedicated workers sanitizing carts and shopping surfaces, to plexiglass counter barriers, to shopper capacity and flow.

During my time at the store, I had an even closer look at the Co-op products and developed a few new favorites. You’ll see them below. Because the Co-op works with local purveyors, they could get products more easily than the large chain grocery stores. Yes, there were shortages everywhere, but the Co-op consistently had top quality meat, produce, and other groceries available.

By far my favorite thing about volunteering at the Co-op was getting to know the people who work there, and my fellow volunteers. There was, and still is, a sense of wanting to help one another, the true definition of cooperative.

For example, when I had the opportunity to participate in a Bakers Against Racism bake sale, I approached Co-op General Manager Mike Litka and asked if the Co-op would consider donating supplies. Without hesitation, Mike supplied me with butter, eggs, flour, and sugar, making it possible for me to donate 100% of my proceeds ($1,028!!) to Making A Change Group in Chester. This is just one example of the Co-op supporting our community and beyond.

I’d like to share some of my favorite items with you. Stop by and see my friends, and maybe find some new favorites of your own.

• Freebird chicken breasts. (I make stock with the bone-in breasts every other week, and skillet chicken with the boneless breasts.)

• Ground chuck – the best for burgers!

• Deli-sliced prosciutto.

• Grab-and-go sushi.

• Olivia’s sweet baby lettuce.

• Cara Cara oranges.

• Dos Gringos tortilla chips and chipotle salsa.

• SO Delicious dairy-free dipped vanilla bean coconut bars.

• Co-op small-batch ground peanut butter.

• Soom sesame tahini and halvah.

Beth DeBruyn
Swarthmore