Committees are a big part of how Weavers Way members can get engaged with the Co-op in a meaningful way. In 2018, we are planning to support our committees by raising awareness of their amazing work and by giving them an opportunity to raise money for causes that are important to them. 

Each month, on the second Tuesday, cashiers in the stores ask shoppers if they would like to give $2 — or more — to a designated cause. Next year, starting with Tuesday, Jan. 9, six of our most active Weavers Way committees will each propose a nonprofit or community project to be the beneficiary of their scheduled Giving Twosday. 

To give you a sense of what committees are all about, here are examples of what two of them have done in the community.  

Over the past few years, the Food Justice Committee has been hard at work organizing food drives, raising over $6,000 and collecting some 4,000 pounds of food for local food pantries. They have also been spreading the word about Food For All, Weavers Way’s program to help make the Co-op more affordable to lower-income households. Participants in SNAP, WIC, TANF or Medicaid can sign up for membership for a $5 per year equity payment and receive 10 percent off all purchases at the Co-op. In part because of the committee’s efforts, participation in Food For All has grown by 37 percent since last year!

In the spring of 2016, our Environment Committee undertook a project to help raise awareness about the importance of minimizing waste. They envisioned that a Zero Waste General Membership Meeting would serve as a good example of what can be achieved when we work together toward this end, and would educate staff and members. We’ve had four Zero Waste GMMs since then, each with more than 150 members attending, featuring a buffet dinner and dessert. Attendees brought their own plates or rented them for $1, helping to fund the Environment Committee’s neighborhood grant program. Over the years, the committee has donated to many community greening projects, including planting trees and native shrubs and acquiring material for building a solar food dehydrator and composter and supplies for a food garden and a rain garden.

We are excited to support our committees by helping them raise funds for the programs they are passionate about. But there is a tradeoff — Food Moxie, our affiliated nonprofit, will be the beneficiary of Giving Twosdays for only six months out of the year, rather than all 12 as in the past. This is not reflective of any change in Weavers Way’s commitment to Food Moxie, but rather about strengthening our partnerships with other organizations in the communities we serve. Our hope is that with the third store, we’ll be able to raise more money overall, and Food Moxie will not receive any less than they did in previous years. 

As for our committees, we really hope that more members will get involved! Joining a committee is a fun way to make an impact, and you’ll even get Co-op working member credit. If you’re interested, feel free to come to a scheduled committee meeting and see how you can help. You could even get together with a few like-minded folks and look into starting a new committee! 

Meeting times and contacts are listed on the Weavers Way website at www.weaversway.coop/committees. You can also contact the Membership Department for info at member@weaversway.coop.