by: Kristina Kuhaupt, Customer Experience Manager
As another holiday season approaches, I reflect on our collective appreciation here at the Co-op for 50 years of loyal, active, and passionate Owners! The Co-op would not be where it is today without you, with three locations on the North, East, and West sides of town, a production kitchen, and now a new Eastside community space, Aubergine, which opened its doors in March of this year with an abundance of positive community support.
Sometimes when you go grocery shopping week after week, it is easy to forget how impactful your food and equity dollars really are. Well, I am here to remind you in gratitude—you make a tremendous impact on your local economy in so many ways. You, the Owners, help support not only more than 450 local makers, farmers, and producers (accounting for 34% of our total sales), but also approximately 380 local employees, and over $934,000 in community donations in fiscal year 2024!! WOW! That is something to be truly grateful for! It is amazing what working together as a community can accomplish in time, and with continual persistence to thrive through changing seasons.
Give Ownership & Classes This Holiday Season for an Enriching Experience
This December, we are making gift-giving not only easy but even more sweet! From December 1–31 when you give the gift of Ownership that is paid-in-full, you will receive a $5 Co-op gift card to treat yourself and a $5 gift card to give to your giftee! It is a great way to expand a loved one’s local food options and help support local makers, farmers, producers, and your Co-op for years to come. Consider planting the seed of nutrition this holiday season to set up friends and family for an abundance of wellness in the New Year! To purchase Ownership, please visit any of our three locations and our customer service team will guide you through the process, or please check out www.willystreet.coop/ownership/gift-ownerships/
Additionally, for those who have taken our cooking and wellness classes, you know the quality, fun, and expertise you receive. Giving the gift of access to experiences helps enrich New Year goals and wellness inspiration that will last well into the year. To purchase classes, please sign up at our customer service desk or online at www.willystreet.coop/events/
Community Reinvestment Fund Now Seeking Nonprofit and Cooperative Applications!
Applications for the Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF) grant are now open, and we will be accepting applications from local 501(c)3 nonprofits and cooperatives through January 31. We continue to conduct the application process earlier so that organizations relying on funding for projects tied to the growing season will receive their funding earlier in spring. In addition, this year we evaluated the barriers to entry, qualifications, and total amount distributed based on our continued Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, thus broadening the potential impact of this cycle.
Since 1992, the Willy Street Co-op Community Reinvestment Fund has been making a difference in the quality of life for our community by funding developmental and educational projects that promote food justice and/or access, creating/developing Cooperative businesses, sustainable agriculture, health and well-being, and social change.
The Community Reinvestment Fund Committee is interested in funding innovative, educational, and/or entrepreneurial endeavors that impact a large group of people, reach out to underserved populations, create jobs or develop skills, foster social engagement, and offer opportunities for diversifying partnerships and collaboration.
Grants are awarded to nonprofits and/or cooperative organizations benefiting Dane County with priority given to organizations run, operated, and/or benefitting marginalized groups and organizations with limited access to funding. Preference may be given to endeavors benefiting the Madison and Middleton metropolitan areas and organizations that have not been funded in previous years by the Community Reinvestment Fund. Grants are competitive, and this year the Co-op’s Board of Directors has allocated $65,000 from abandoned Owner equity to award. Additionally, this year we have an expanded grant section called “Rooted in Our Community,” for local food system/farming-specific projects for capital equipment or investments that uplift a community. Our Board has approved an additional $20,000 for this pilot grant program umbrellaed under the CRF program. For more information and to download the application, visit www.willystreet.coop/crf.
Holiday Fund Drive for Double Dollars and Partner Food Pantries: Final Push to the Finish Line
We are halfway through our two-month matching campaign to support the Double Dollars Fund and our five partner food pantries: Goodman Community Center Fritz Food Pantry, Lussier Community Education Center, WayForward Resources, The River Food Pantry, and Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center. There are two simple ways to participate: Donate to Double Dollars using the $1, $5, $10, or $25 scan cards at the cash registers; or reuse bags for packing your groceries at checkout. Whenever you reuse a bag, we record 10¢ that we would have spent on a paper bag and instead contribute all those saved dimes to the Double Dollars Fund. When you support Double Dollars this November and December, we will match up to $15,000 to provide gift cards for our local food pantries to purchase fresh foods that are not as easy to get in the winter months. As of this writing, the November part of the campaign is off to a positive start, with $ 1,793 for Double Dollars, and $1,793 for our food pantries. Let’s keep it up and end the year off propelling our community food needs in the right direction.
As a reminder, Double Dollars is a nutrition incentive program to help those using FoodShare/QUEST purchase fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seeds and seedlings for growing edible plants. The Double Dollars season runs from October to May at the Co-op and June to November at participating farmers’ markets. Willy Street Co-op, with your cash donations and bag reuse combined, has provided more than $435,900 to the Double Dollars Fund since April 2017.
The Double Dollars match benefiting our food pantry partners is made possible through abandoned and donated Owner equity. When Owners leave the Co-op, their equity invested belongs to them and they are given the option to have their equity refunded or donated to use for charitable purposes such as this match and the Community Reinvestment Fund grants.
Santas Without Chimneys Campaign: Collection at our 3 locations from December 1-20
Santas Without Chimneys is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing holiday gifts and essentials to children and youth who lack stable housing. Inspired by the idea that Santa often comes down a chimney to deliver gifts, Santas Without Chimneys ensures that kids without a traditional home still experience the magic of the holidays.
The organization partners with shelters, schools, and social service agencies to identify the unique needs and wishes of each child. Volunteers create personalized wish lists based on these needs, which include toys, books, warm clothing, hygiene items, and other essentials. Generous donors and supporters then “adopt” these wish lists and purchase the items or make financial contributions toward the gifts.
Santas Without Chimneys also works with community partners, local businesses, and online gift registries to collect donations. Volunteers coordinate the shopping, wrapping, and distribution of gifts, ensuring that each child receives personalized items that bring a sense of joy, dignity, and belonging during the holiday season.
For those who want to contribute in person, collection boxes for gift donations are conveniently located at participating businesses, community centers, and other public venues. Locations of the collection boxes can be found on the Santas Without Chimneys website and social media channels, where new sites are regularly updated throughout the season. This allows community members to easily drop off items that will go directly to bringing holiday cheer to kids in need. All three Willy Street Locations are drop off sites this year from December 1-20.
Thank you for supporting Madison Street Medicine in October at all store locations by helping donate numerous overflowing bins of shoes to help those who are unhoused in our neighborhoods. Additionally, at our Willy West store, you helped donate 699 items of warm clothing (up 76 items from last year) to help Visit Middleton provide WayForward Resources the donations to distribute to those in need of warmth this winter season. Your generosity every year is greatly appreciated for these campaigns!
Hurricane Helene & Milton Global Giving: THANK YOU!
A heartfelt thank you to all of you who contributed to our hurricane relief campaign from October 27–November 2 at our registers!! During this short amount of time, you helped raise $9,477, which was matched dollar-for- dollar with the approval of our Board from our abandoned equity fund, up to $10,000. This brought our final total raised to $18,955. All monies were donated to GlobalGiving, a nonprofit organization that supports other nonprofits by connecting them to donors and companies working on the ground. GlobalGiving provides natural disaster support to medical facilities and first responders, and the funds donated by our customers were split equally between groups providing Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief.
Additionally, the Co-op donated $1,000 to Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) to raise funds for co-ops facing losses from some of the worst hurricanes in recorded history. These monies were matched by National Grocers Cooperative, which is also matching donations from other co-ops. NCG’s collective goal was to reach a $100,000 donation total, and they’re close to achieving their goal.
As We Close Out the Year
I want to wish you and yours a joyful end of the year filled with the magic of the season! Thank you for partnering with us throughout the year both in our efforts to provide locally sourced food and care for the community equally—your dedication to our cooperative efforts is truly appreciated! Cheers to a continued better world this New Year!
Ways to Give:
- Gift Ownerships: www.willystreet.coop/gift-ownerships/
- Gift Cards: At the registers or call Customer Service: Willy East: 608-251-6776, Willy West: 608-284-7800, Willy North: 608-471-4422
- Double Dollars: At the registers
- Santas Without Chimneys: Willy Street Co-op locations, December 1-20.
- Global Giving Disaster Recovery: www.globalgiving.org/
