Create Positive Change
Each time you shop at the co-op, you have a chance to directly support local community partners by donating your 10-cent reusable bag credits and rounding up your purchases to the nearest dollar. It may only be a few cents or spare change, but your generosity makes a huge impact — to the tune of over $11,000 each month for our Positive Change recipients!
Neighborhood House
December’s Positive Change recipient is Neighborhood House, which works to provide hope, opportunity and dignity for all. Since 1897, Neighborhood House has served as a multicultural, multilingual resource network for Saint Paul’s immigrants, refugees, and low-income families. Neighborhood House provides support for families in times of transition with programs addressing food, housing, education and jobs. They aim “to help people gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in diverse communities.”
This month, the co-op is supporting Neighborhood House’s Food Support program, which provides access to nutrition education and assistance with government benefits enrollment as well as supplying food. Neighborhood House has two St. Paul Food Markets (on the West Side and West 7th Street) and also hosts regular Fresh Produce Pickups. The Food Markets give clients their choice of items and encourage healthy food selection, and the Fresh Produce Pickups provide families with a free farmer’s-market experience and year-round access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Last year, they distributed more than 800,000 pounds of food to thousands of households in need of fresh, culturally appropriate food.
Donations collected at the registers will help purchase fresh and culturally appropriate food for their two food markets and support local families in need.