This year, many of the usual ways people connect with each other and do good in their communities have been disrupted. County fairs, parades and fund-raising events all have been cancelled. There are no potlucks or group volunteer projects. Annual meetings and anniversary celebrations have been cancelled or held online. Despite this, co-ops have found new and creative ways to include shoppers in their community outreach. When shoppers and owners can participate in the community building, everyone gets to soak up the good vibes.
Here are just a few ideas that co-ops have rolled out over the past several months.
Prize Drawing with a Twist
Rather than conducting a simple drawing for a $100 co-op gift card (a familiar tactic for creating excitement and engagement among shoppers), BriarPatch Co-op, Grass Valley, Calif., added a twist: The winner of the gift card could select a non-profit organization to receive a matching amount.
In this case, the winner chose to give the donation to Advocates for Mentally Ill (AMI) Housing.
The winner wrote this about the donation and the impact it can have: “Thank you for this blessing! My children and I lost our home in a house fire on July 27 and just two days ago, with the assistance of AMI Housing, we finally moved into a home. I would like to donate to this organization, as they have helped me tremendously.”
By allowing the winner to choose the donation recipient and featuring them on social media, BriarPatch was able to make their customer the focus of this story.
Paying it Forward
Lexington Cooperative Market, Buffalo, N.Y., took the concept of “paying it forward” and made it easy for their shoppers to spread a little love (and delicious coffee) to people in the community. Shoppers could simply add a cup of coffee to their total at checkout and receive a card to give a friend (or stranger), inviting that person to enjoy a free cup of coffee at the co-op. The card conveniently doubled as a postcard, so it could also be delivered by mail.
The beauty of this campaign is its simplicity, which was easily communicated in an Instagram story!
Trees for Community
City Market, Burlington, Vt., has found tried and true tactics still resonate with their community, as well. Last month, the co-op held its 23rd Annual Tree Sale to benefit Vermont nonprofit Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS). Expanding the sale to both store locations for the first time, the co-op sold more than 700 trees this year. City Market also continued its “Buy a Tree, Plant a Tree” program with Intervale Center for the third year. On Jan. 6 this year, the co-op staff presented a check totaling $14,678 to COTS, as well as a check for $6,925 to Intervale Center. Over the years, the annual tree sale has raised more than $173,000 for COTS.
This is just a small sampling of some of the things co-ops are doing to keep active and involved with their membership and spread a little joy in their communities!
