All tagged Swarthmore Co-op
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 early March until late June, we did not step foot into a grocery store. Due to the selfless volunteers and hard-working staff at the Swarthmore Co-op, our family took advantage of the curbside pick-up option on a weekly basis.
For the past bunch of weeks, I have been doing shifts at the Co-op, assembling people’s emailed orders. It’s been fun. There’s a great sense of camaraderie between volunteers and the amazing Co-op staff, and it’s been good to feel useful. I’ve also learned a lot about the amazing variety the Co-op offers in its small space — things I never knew were there! For those of you who use the service, though, there are a few things you could do that would make all of our lives better.
While the experts spoke of mitigating, social distancing, and flattening the curve, the Co-op was ahead of the curve among all the places I shop.
I ask the three groups who are opposing the Co-op’s sale of beer and wine to withdraw your opposition. Patrick Flanigan, the Pastuszek family, and Rodney and Deborah Swaney: You are holding the Co-op hostage, forcing it to divert resources that the business cannot afford to waste fighting you in court.
I’d like to express my respect and gratitude to the Co-op staff and manager Mike Litka, whose dedication and care for their customers and community are extraordinary.
As all of us grapple with the upending of our lives due to the threat of COVID-19, there has been one essential constant right here in Swarthmore. It’s the Swarthmore Co-op under the tireless leadership of General Manager Mike Litka.
We are so proud of the extra effort, commitment, and adaptability of all of our Co-op staff members (and our volunteers, too) who are keeping our store open and working well for our community. As events unfold, we’re making adjustments to continue accomplishing everything we can for our owners and shoppers.
We have successfully achieved the Co-op Freezer Fundraiser goal! The grand total raised is $105,000. Thank you to all Co-op owners and friends in the community that stepped up over the past several months. Also, this weekend the Swarthmore Co-op will join in the celebration of Philadelphia Grocery Co-op Day.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Co-op this past Saturday at the BBQ Fundraiser. Your food purchases and donations added up to $3,206.02 that will be used to renovate the existing café space in the Co-op.
Recently, a social media post asked why the corn at the Co-op costs more than the corn at Trader Joe’s. It’s a common question. I’d like to flip it around and instead ask: why is the corn at TJ’s so cheap? “Cheap food” makes me wonder: who in the supply chain was exploited? Because certainly, someone was.
Thanks to all who came out to last Friday’s Co-op Movie Night. For our first time running this event, it was very successful. From admission donations and sales of food from our grill, we raised more than $600 to go towards essential freezer repairs. Everything was run by Co-op owners who volunteered their time to make sure all profits went directly to the freezer fund.
Swarthmore Co-op recently hosted a book reading by food journalist Jon Steinman for his book Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants. His insight into the food business was pretty shocking.
