For our Members

Membership Policies

 
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INVESTMENT POLICIES

Every member-owner must make a one-time payment of $175 ($30 for qualifying low income residents).This includes a $150 investment in the Co-op, plus a nonrefundable $25 administrative fee. Membership plans are available. This is required for each adult member of your household.

Every adult who shares in your household’s food must pay the administrative fee and the membership investment.**

Member-owner investments may be redeemed under the following situations:

  • The member-owner chooses to resign from the Co-op and requests, in writing, the redemption of investment.

  • The Co-op dissolves

The Co-op is incorporated as a not-for-profit membership cooperative under the laws of New York State.

Payment plans are available.

**A member-owner’s investment in the Co-op is just that, an investment. Through this financial investment, members share risk in the success of the Co-op. Member-owner investments help support Co-op operations and development, as well as help the Co-op achieve sustainability. If a member-owner requests a redemption of their investment upon leaving, it may not be immediate. The redemption timing is determined by the Board of Directors, according to the Co-ops fiscal health and other factors (and as such, a member remains a member until his or her redemption is processed). The Co-op currently has a moratorium on membership equity redemptions in place.

The moratorium will continue for the foreseeable future until the Co-op improves its financial health. Often members that leave the Co-op choose to donate their investment to the Co-op.

 

WORK SHIFT POLICIES

 

  • Every member-owner of the Co-op will need to complete regular work shifts. The current length and cycle for work shifts is two and a half hours every four weeks and is subject to change as our member-owner base expands and/or our business requires.

  • A member-owner is welcome to work another member-owner’s shifts, they just must clock in their hours as that person.

  • Each member-owner is responsible for their shift and is expected to find a replacement for the shift if they cannot fulfill it. Click here to see how: Shift Swapping Procedure. If you cannot find a swap or coverage, you are required to make up that shift within TWO months.

 

LEAVE & CANCELLATION POLICIES

 

  • General Leave: The Co-op allows any member-owner to take a personal leave i.e. “General Leave” (12 weeks minimum, without shopping and without needing to work) once per year for any reason.

  • Disability, Care-Giving or Parental Leave: The Co-op also permits adjustments to the work requirement (without loss of shopping privileges) for member-owners who have disabilities or serious health conditions, who are caring for people who have disabilities or serious health conditions, who are coping with the death of a loved one, or who have recently brought a child into their family. Member-owners wishing to make use of these special programs should contact Membership for more information.

  • If you are a current or prospective member-owner with a personal circumstance not covered by these policies, please contact Membership, who will make recommendations regarding all requests, which will then be voted upon at a General Meeting. You may join and shop (or remain a member-owner) temporarily while your request is pending. Requests typically take two months to process.

  • Cancelling Membership: If you should ever decide to cancel your membership to the Co-op, simply email Membership with your contact info and reason for leaving. If you wish for your investment to be redeemed you will be referred to the Investments team. Please remember that when a member-owner requests a redemption of his or her investment, it may not be immediate. The redemption timing is determined by the Board of Directors, according to the Co-op’s fiscal health and other factors (and as such, a member-owner remains a member-owner until his or her redemption is processed). Often member-owners that leave the Co-op choose to donate their investment to the Co-op. Currently all investment redemptions are on hold. Please email Membership if you have questions before joining.

  • If you would like to know the status of your investment redemption, please email the Investments team.

  • If you have a question about our existing membership rules, please email Membership.