We are proud to share that after participating in the Cooperative Pathway Program (CPP) offered by our partner Urban Recipe, Focused Community Strategies will now be the owner and operator of two food co-ops in South Atlanta. The long-standing food co-op in South Atlanta will continue, and we are proud to be growing an additional one at Haven at South Atlanta.
Urban Recipe recently unveiled this opportunity to ensure that even more neighborhoods could use their co-op model! On the ground for co-op members, not much will change. What’s different is that FCS staff and neighborhood leaders will now be leading the operations and implementation of the food co-ops, rather than Urban Recipe staff. Our partnership with Urban Recipe will stay strong! Their team will still be the ones coordinating with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to bring food to each co-op meeting.
Many thanks to Urban Recipe for their faithful partnership over many years and for putting together the CPP, which made this transition possible. It was the perfect moment – FCS was ready to expand its capacity, and neighborhood leaders wanted to take it on. We’re thrilled!
How it works: what happens at a food co-op
Urban Recipe’s food co-op model focuses on creating spaces that foster dignity and community – all while promoting increased access to healthy food and household products.
Every other week, Urban Recipe sends a truck loaded with fresh groceries to one of FCS’ co-op locations. When it arrives, a group of committed co-op members are ready! After an opening remark or prayer, a group of co-op leaders will guide the other members as they unpack the groceries and distribute them based on the size of each co-op member’s family.
After distributing the food, the Steering Committee shares announcements and reminders during a general gathering among all co-op members. Then, each member goes home with an equitable share of fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, and even home goods like diapers and toilet paper! Throughout the time, neighbors laugh, collaborate, and encourage one another.
Meet the neighbors who lead the food co-ops
The South Atlanta co-op functions with efficiency and joy! A steering committee of 4 remarkable women supports the co-op, which is located at FCS offices: Ms. Betty, Ms. Little, Ms. Geri, and Juicy. Although not formally on the steering committee, Ms. Caroline is an honorary leader who runs produce, and Ms. Ruby mans the “Home Goods” section when it’s available. Each of these women has her own expertise and style, and each one transforms the co-op from a place of work to a place of community.
Mikayla Santos, the member of the Neighborhood Engagement team who works most closely with them, shares, “Ms. Ruby is the first to walk in the door and gets right to it by pulling tables off the back. She has been coming to the co-op for years!”
“Ms. Betty is a true leader. If she notices someone is missing, she calls them right away to check in on them. I’ve seen her immediately start coordinating someone to bring a member their groceries if they were sick or in the hospital. And everyone wants to give her a hug.
“Ms. Geri is looking out for equity, making sure that everyone has a role and that everyone gets their fair share of the food. She really believes that attention to the work and fairness is what makes the co-op work,” she says. Mikayla notes that Juicey, who leads the Haven Community co-op solo, is the most soft-spoken. “She leads by example while cracking jokes to keep everyone’s spirits high,” Mikayla says.
Who comes to food co-ops
While the members of each food co-op are as unique as its leaders, they do share some traits in common. At South Atlanta, most members are community elders. Of the 33 total members, 29 are seniors.
Mikayla explains, “It’s especially powerful for so many of our older neighbors to have a place where they can come regularly, get some exercise, socialize, get encouragement, and of course, walk out with fresh food. It helps keep them healthy, connected, and in-the-know about what’s going on in the neighborhood.” Rightfully, the co-op also serves as a space where each Senior can be recognized as a leader and where they can lend their wisdom and experience to enrich one another.
The Haven food co-op is new and growing! Right now, it welcomes 11 members. Most of the members are working adults 40 and older. “It’s a different group of people, and it’s not even a year old yet. We’re really looking forward to spreading the word and welcoming more people,” says Mikayla.
The impact of food co-ops
The most obvious impact of the food co-op is boosting access to fresh food, which is critically important for many families in the neighborhoods where FCS works. “If you have a family of four or more, there’s just a reality that many salaries and benefits, even food stamps or SNAP, can only take you so far. The co-op is there to offer that extra support to make sure you and your family get the nutrients they need,” Mikayla says.
The food co-op also nourishes the social fabric and holistic well-being of its members. It’s a space where neighbors can lead, contribute to the rules and norms of the space, and share ideas that they enact. Members swap prayers and encouraging words. The trust and solidarity built through these moments reaches far beyond the co-op, too.
“I see it in neighborhood events like Treat Street,” Mikayla muses. “Ms. Geri and Ms. Betty quickly agreed to work together on a booth because they already knew how to work together really well. And they already felt connected and like they had buy-in to community events like that one. Community involvement at co-op makes members want to go deeper into the neighborhood. That benefits everyone,” she says.
We’re so grateful for this partnership with Urban Recipe, which allows us to expand food access to our neighbors. We’re also thankful to all the neighbors who make this effort possible!
