Fostering Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion at the Coop

Thanks to all our members for sending us your comments and questions over the past few weeks. We appreciate hearing from all of you. Many of you had questions regarding the removal of a board member. While there are confidentiality matters that we must honor at this time, we can say that the Board did not make this decision lightly and followed our code of conduct, policies, bylaws, and articles of incorporation in making the decision. We continue to learn from this experience as we move forward.

The Food Co-op is committed to DEI, and accessibility within our organization and in our community. We’re here every day working to nourish our community, and living our values of respect, inclusion, participation,integrity, love, stewardship and resiliency.

We’ve heard the concerns from our community. We are listening. We are taking action. And we are reaffirming our commitment to look deeper at how we operate and how we can improve our Co-op.

Here are some of the ways we are working to achieve our goal of equity, belonging and inclusion.

🍎 We have secured a DEI consultant to help develop a comprehensive strategy to further our efforts at cultural understanding.

🍊 The Board of Directors is also actively working to select a DEI consultant to help them build upon the prior equity work of the Board. We are grateful for the foundation they set and are looking forward to advancing it further.

🍋 We are conducting a staff engagement survey to find out more about the workplace experience.

🥬 We created an Employee Resource Group with proactive involvement from our LGBTQIA+ employees to deepen our support for a diverse workplace. This group had its first meeting in early September and will help us create a more supportive network that can inform our larger DEI efforts.

🫐 We are launching an Inclusive Trade Program where members of historically or currently excluded communities can self-identify to be a part of the program. It will include businesses that represent many communities, such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Veterans, and Persons with Disabilities. The Co-op will support these businesses with marketing in store and online so customers can support the companies that align with their values.

Over the years, the Co-op has advanced numerous initiatives to be more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming. These include:

🍎 Our staff receives on-going regular trainings including anti-bias, anti-harassment, and anti-discrimination.

🍊 Staff in lead roles have attended workshops given by locally based Usawa Consulting on anti-racism and discrimination.

🍋 Department managers attend regular training sessions on inclusive leadership, anti-bias, and ensuring a safe work environment.

🥬 We are a founding, ongoing sponsor of the BIPOC Start-Up Business Fund at the Jefferson County Farmers Market.

🫐 Our donations, giving and sponsorships include multiple organizations that support equity within our community. Some recent examples are the Benji Project, Olympic Pride, Jefferson County Anti-Racist Fund, Jefferson County Immigrant Rights Advocates, Community Wellness Project, and The Longhouse for Peoples First Foods Project.

We know there is more that we can do and will continue to build upon our efforts. We promise to continue to be transparent and to report on our ongoing initiatives. We are dedicated to operating with integrity and accountability to create a diverse, open and thoughtful community that is welcoming to all.

Sincerely,

Owen Rowe, Board President, The Food Co-op

Kenna S. Eaton General Manager, The Food Co-op