September 2015 Newsletter

THE GREENE HILL FOOD COOP - SEPTEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Catching You Up on Co-op News We’re stretching out the summer, hosting monthly backyard barbeques until the chill brings us inside. Join us for the next one on Sunday, September 27, at 4 pm. We’ve postponed elections and our Annual Meeting from September to November 18 since so many members were away this summer (what a shock!). But those of us who stuck around have been very busy. Have you met POP and MOM? They are two of our smart committee innovations. Another new activity we’re trying out is coworking -- read on to find out more! Want more updates from the Co-op? Follow us on Facebook for news on events, what's in the store, open shifts and more. You can also follow us on Instagram for a fun look at what other members are doing with Co-op products as well as what's going on in the store.

What’s Up Next at the Co-op? The next General Meeting will be held at the Co-op on Wednesday, September 23, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. We’ll be getting an agenda to members shortly. Wishing you had a better sense of what's going on in all the different areas of the Co-op? Check out this awesome project dashboard, a new tool to support different parts of the Co-op to be in stronger communication with one another. The dashboard builds on efforts to deepen cross-committee connections like MOM (membership/ outreach/marketing) and the HR working group POP (People Operations Project). We’ll be using the dashboard to get a clearer picture of the plans and progress of different groups and, hopefully, connect member-owners to the people and information they need to do their thing. Shift Leaders will have their next meeting on Sunday, September 20, in the expansion space at Greene Hill from 1-3 pm. If you’re a shift leader, come and offer your expertise on discussions pertaining to weekend coverage, best practices and recruitment. If you’re not a shift leader but would like to know more and attend the meeting, email the Shift Leader Coordinator, Matthew Talmage, at shiftleaders@greenehillfood.coop and he’ll be happy to send you an agenda.

Greene Hill Community Potluck, Sun, Sept 27 Do you like food? Do you like other people (at least sometimes!)? Then you will LOVE our upcoming backyard potluck! On Sunday, September 27, from 4 pm to 7 pm, Greene Hill will be hosting our third fun community potluck for one and all in the Co-op's charming backyard. Bring a dish, bring a friend, meet your neighbors! (Psst, there will be open shopping at this time as well.) See you there!

Board Elections Postponed, POP Underway! At the August General Meeting (GM), the board and membership decided to postpone the elections for the Board of Directors from September to (tentatively) November. Read on for more background on this decision. More importantly, please join us at the upcoming GM! Participating in the meetings is a great way to learn more about Co-op governance. What is the People Operations Project (POP)? Created in late July, the People Operations Project (POP) has been exploring how the Board, committees, store coordinator and members can work better together -- for a co-op that people are excited to participate in and for a successful store. POP strives to clarify roles and responsibilities across the Co-op, find ways to streamline communications, answer questions about personnel management, and maintain a culture that is vibrant, inclusive, and reflective of the Co-op’s principles and our shared sense of purpose. Why were elections postponed? The latest call for nominations for the Board of Directors raised a number of questions about the responsibilities and key activities of the Board. While requirements for participation in the Board are clear, the Board and membership noted that there is not total clarity about where some decision-making and other responsibilities sit, and what the best use of the Board might be. Recognizing that the POP outcomes might help us figure this out, the membership and Board decided to postpone Board elections until POP finishes its work. Current board members will extend their service through November 2015 and, based on POP’s report-outs and recommendations, elections to the Board of Directors will be held later in the year. So what does this mean for me? If you’re interested in joining the Board, please come to the next GM on September 23. If you can’t be there, please email governance@greenehillfood.coop and meghan.curran@gmail.com to learn more and keep updated about election dates. To share your Co-op work experience (committee or store-based) with the POP team, please email meghan.curran@gmail.com. We want to know more about the experiences that members across all committees and shifts are having, to best understand where and how we can improve! We are eager to hear from you.

Come Co-Work with MeWeekly co-working time! Come join us at the Co-op on Monday nights from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm for a dedicated time and space to co-work. Side benefits include enjoying each other’s company, being able to ask a question across the table rather than writing an email, and learning about what others are doing. And let’s not forget ready access to snacks.

Making Our Co-op More InclusiveWe’re starting an inclusion initiative to explore how we can better welcome everyone into the Co-op. Our first meeting is on Wednesday, September 30, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Come and be heard and listen as we start to understand how and why people might not feel welcomed and exactly what we can do about it. For more information contact Keith Almon at keith@greenehillfood.coop.

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille by Molly Neuman When August rolls around, this is the dish that I most look forward to eating over and over again. It uses everything in season, is easy to prepare, and can be eaten hot, cold or room temperature -- as a main dish or as an accompaniment. One of my colleagues has a method of preparation that's different than mine because she doesn't like it “stew-y,” but I love it that way! I think it's fantastic when a recipe can be prepared differently to suit different tastes, but still be true to its origin. Enjoy it while these vegetables are still in season, and store some in your freezer for the winter months. Ingredients: 3 T olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium eggplant, diced into half-inch cubes 2 small zucchini or summer squash (or one of each), diced into half-inch cubes 1 red pepper, diced 2 large tomatoes, diced 1 t salt 1 t pepper Lightly season eggplant and zucchini cubes with salt. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add eggplant and cook until slightly brown. Add zucchini and red pepper and cook until slightly tender. Add tomatoes and reduce heat. Let cook until tomatoes have softened and combined thoroughly with the other vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve immediately or later. It’s delicious either way! This recipe serves two to four people. Total cost of ingredients? Only $6.55!

TThe Co-op Q&A with Pierre Andre by Aly Miller After a membership meeting this month, we met Pierre Andre, a passionate member of the Education Committee, whose vision for the Co-op can help us keep focus on the long-term goal of being a hub for community events and social life. Q: When did you join the Co-op, and what were some of your reasons for joining? A: I joined two or three years ago because I wanted affordable, healthy food. More importantly, I wanted to be a part of a community where people interact with one another. Society is so mechanized that people think you can’t interact with cashiers unless you have a question about a product you’re going to buy. But here, conversations are allowed and welcomed! Q: What do you contribute here at the Co-op? A: I am a part of the Education Committee. We create the campaigns to raise funds for the Co-op. We also look ahead to craft a long-term vision. I believe that the biggest thing we can work on is to raise funds to get out of the red, and be strategic with our membership space. Moving forward with campaigns, we’ll be working on crafting our message and selling that to the public. If we can sell the vision right – the brand and identity of our co-op -- we can increase foot traffic. If we show people that we’re really making a difference right here in the community, they’ll want to join us in our mission. They’ll want to see that their dollars are going to inclusive programming and community change. Q: What is a long-term vision that you have for the Co-op? A: I’d like to see the Co-op host health-centered community events that really meet the needs of our neighbors. For example, we could raise funds to hire alternative health professionals or yoga instructors to teach both members and non-members, as a way of welcoming people into our space while offering much-needed services. People here at the Co-op can build something that really counts, and I believe that news of our work would catch on and inspire people to join us. We can show them that they, too, can be part of this vision. We need everyone -- chefs, tutors, organizers, and business people -- to offer their talents and build more community-centered services. Q: What do you do outside of The Co-op? A: I am a social worker in a high school. I look for safer ways to solve people’s problems. I think creatively about what we can do to take care of one another. I don’t want to refer my students to doctors and treatments; I want to teach accessible lessons like breathing exercises, so that my students can be more and more self-sufficient.

Help WantedAll members work a 2 hour shift every 4 weeks. It's part of being a member/owner. Here are some opportunities to earn work credit. Newsletter Managing Editor Wanted Are you organized? Good at keeping people on track? This is a fun job, helping to round up submissions for the monthly Co-op newsletter. Work with a great team and do it from home! Email marketing@greenehill.coop for more information. Seeking Shift Leader Co Coordinator Help the Shift Leader Coordinator with email traffic, scheduling, social media contact, representation at General Meetings and Shift Leader Meetings. Not necessary to be a shift leader (yet!). Organizational skills a plus! Work load is 2.5 to 5 hours/month depending on your availability. For further information contact Matthew Talmage at shiftleaders@greenehillfood.coop. Local Outreach & Communications Support Needed! We need folks to help grow our membership, keep the Co-op looking snappy, and tell our story in new and compelling ways. The Marketing and Outreach Committees are looking for members to help with a variety of tasks, including: neighborhood outreach (canvassing, events, partnerships); design and branding (graphic design, copywriting, labels, signage), and communication strategy (messaging, social media). Email marketing@greenehillfood.coop to help out!

Et cetera Credits: Credits: Plum pic from the Greene Hill Facebook page, dashboard photo by Wayne Silver courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, Co-op desk photo by K. Chauvin via the Greene Hill Co-op Flickr page. The Greene Hill Food Co-op Newsletter is edited and published by (in alphabetical order) Carola Burroughs, Sonia Garbes Putzel, DK Holland, Alexandra Miller, Amy Nazer, Molly Neuman, Sarah Wesseler, and Gitta Zomorodi. Contact us with any feedback, suggestions, or requests at newsletter@greenehillfood.coop. Join and/or follow the Greene Hill Food Co-op! Interested in joining the Greene Hill Food Co-op? Check out our website to learn about membership, Like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. Or simply stop by our store at 18 Putnam Avenue (off Grand Avenue) with any questions!