Out of everything this pandemic has taught us, the importance of community is right there near the top. We all know it’s valuable, but how exactly do you create it?
We each are part of multiple communities. We have our families, our work colleagues, our friends, people we meet at events and classes, and so forth. Many of these form effortlessly, others are created with intention. So, how can we all come together and create a community surrounding and supporting our co-op?
CCFC was off to a great start. People were finding out about us, becoming owners, and telling their friends. We were hosting fun events, participating in parades and other community festivals, getting the word out and growing steadily. Then the pandemic hit and we were all on lockdown. How on earth could we let people know about the co-op and increase our ownership without being out at the Farmer’s Markets and various events around town?
We had to quickly re-evaluate our plans and find effective ways of raising awareness and ownership without the distinct advantage of being out in public. We organized a group of owner volunteers (our Community Cultivators) to help distribute food to those in need in Vallejo and Benicia. We had field trips to local farms and other outdoor activities that were COVID-safe. Behind the scenes, the board fine-tuned our policies and by-laws, and made sure our foundation was solid. Although you may not have seen us as much, we were very busy!
And yes, we are still here! Now that things are opening up more and more, we’ve been able to table at the Farmer’s Markets, the Vallejo Art Walk, and had a lovely “Get to Know Us” event at Avant Garden in Benicia. And now that we are over 500 owners, we are preparing for things to start moving very quickly.
We’d like to cultivate our community of owners by offering more events, potlucks, farm tours, happy hours and such, where you can all meet and get to know each other. We are a vibrant and diverse group! However, we need more hands on deck to make it all happen. If you have the time available, please complete our Volunteer Form to join a team of like-minded owners who want to get this co-op open soon and have fun together. We look forward to hearing from you, and to working side-by-side with you to open our store!
Link to Volunteer Form: https://forms.gle/Nn7m2NYpSookLTKB8