Lexington Cooperative Market in Buffalo, N.Y., is gearing up to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebration plans include a fundraiser for a local art gallery, partnerships with local vendors, in-store signage highlighting Hispanic producers, and plenty of demos and Latin-inspired offerings on the hot bar.
Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 and is dedicated to recognizing the achievements and contributions of those who are Hispanic, Latino, Latine and Latinx. The theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” Mike Simpson, Lexington’s human resources manager, says that the co-op is committed to recognizing different heritage celebrations throughout the year.
“We are trying to make this the best celebration possible,” Simpson says.
Jennifer White, Lexington’s marketing and communications manager, says a big part of their plan is to be better at celebrating heritage. “It’s about saying to staff and community that we are doing our best to be more inclusive and welcoming and working to cultivate a culture of belonging,” White says.
For this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, that entailed several different initiatives and promotions. The recipient of Lexington’s “Change for Change” round-up program for the month is El Museo, a nonprofit visual arts organization dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary work by diverse artists and cultures.
Inside the store, the co-op’s deli team is creating their first themed hot bar, featuring a different menu each week in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month. This year’s themed hot bar was a collaborative effort between both of the co-op’s stores with menu development led by Prepared Foods Manager Andrew Stachura and team members Diego Martinez, Any Oceguera and Saul Rodriguez. One of the features on the hot bar will be chimichurri roasted chicken, featuring Che Garcia Chimichurri by a Buffalo local vendor and chef Valentina Garcia-Montaño. Throughout the month, Garcia-Montaño will be joining both stores for in-store chimichurri demonstrations and tastings.
The co-op is also bringing in a new local vendor to celebrate the month — Healthy Rican, which makes Latin seasonings, spices and sofrito. Inclusive Trade signage featuring Hispanic-owned businesses, such as Siete, Mi Niña, Gramma Mora’s and Tucson Tamales, will be prominently displayed around the store. Produce managers Kelsey Dux and Eric Kendall will also display items like dragon fruit, plantains, jackfruit, tomatillos and more.
White says they want to use this approach to Hispanic Heritage Month as a framework for future heritage month celebrations.
AnaSofía Stieglitz, Lexington’s human resources coordinator, has been instrumental in planning Hispanic Heritage Month events. Born in Guatemala, Stieglitz has a deep pride and passion for sharing her culture and celebrating her culture through food.
Stieglitz says one of the components to the co-op’s approach to heritage month celebrations is authenticity and involving all staff. With a background in starting employee resource groups (ERGs), Stieglitz has seen first-hand the impact that listening to ideas from all staff can have on morale, retention and overall organizational health. She is working with other departments to identify ways to infuse some of those practices into the co-op’s structure and strategies.
“We want to create space for all levels of workers to be an active participant,” she says. “This year’s celebrations would not have been made possible without the support of staff from all levels; as we say here at Lexington: Two stores, one co-op!”
Stieglitz says that staff have voiced their thanks for these opportunities. She tells the story of a recent job applicant who said the culture of the co-op led them to apply. “It speaks to the work we do, creating a culture of trust that extends to the community,” she says.
Doing so didn’t necessarily mean recreating the wheel for Lexington, either. They are leveraging their existing infrastructure and systems on which to build. For example, the co-op realized that their name tag program presented a chance for all staff to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, and to call out which team members speak Spanish.
“It can further elevate the in-store shopping experience for customers to see there’s someone here who speaks their language, and to know that they can go to them for help,” Stieglitz says.
“The culmination of this project and really, this year’s programming, demonstrates that diversity, equity and inclusion work is not always as daunting as it may seem.”
Visit the National Hispanic Heritage Month website to learn more.
