Item 3. Austin Community Owned Food Retail Initiative — original pdf

Backup

1 Austin Community Owned Food Retail Initiative Del Valle Food Co-op Update Drew De Los Santos Executive Director drew@acba.coop 512-222-7032 ACBA ● Co-op Economic Development ● Technical Assistance/Coaching ● Advocacy ● Community Building ● Solidarity Economy Work ● Sister Organization: Austin Cooperative Business Foundation ● Non-Extractive Financing for Worker-owned, democratically managed businesses Initiative History 3 Katie Novak: Cooperative Coaching Outreach Steering Committee Formed steering committee ● ● GAVA conducted door knocking and house meetings across eastern crescent Surveys were distributed ● ● Represented across eastern crescent ● 3 languages ● Met monthly ● ● ● Created business plan Reviewed Market Study Created Membership Benefits plan Developed pilot plan ● Capital Campaign Committee ● Meets monthly ● ● Identifies grants Develops partnerships with Foundations, Institutions Reports to Steering committee/Board ● 4 4 What is a co-op? ● ● ● ● People centered business Owned by the people that need the business Democratically controlled : 1 member, 1 vote Need profit to fulfill mission Co-op values: self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity What is a Food Co-op? 5 ● A business focused on accessing food and other groceries, household goods; ● All profits go back into services or making co-op more affordable, or can be given to owners; ● Anyone can shop at the co-op. Ownership means: ● Investing in the business by buying a share ● Voting on your representative for the board of directors ● Access to owner-deals ● Access to financials of the business ● ● Open to all regardless of immigration Profit sharing status Membership Membership Role: Membership Benefits: ● Invest in the business through buying a 1 time share for $50 (required to vote but not to shop) ● Shop regularly at the co-op ● Vote for the Board of Directors ● Attend membership meetings ● Vote on who represents you on the Board of Directors ● Run for the Board of Directors ● Attend Members-only Meetings ● Special discounts/coupons ● Ownership in a local food retail ● co-op that meets and ensures food access to the local community Unique to our co-op: Product Development & Skill building classes and access to selling your product at the co-op 2025 Timeline 1. 2. October - November : November - December: 3. 4. 5. January - March: March - April: April - December: 7 ACBA and GAVA conducted a board election. 7 Board members elected! ● ● ● First Board meetings Looking for potential locations Pilot Planning ● ● Hiring Pilot and Membership Project Manager Pilot Logistics finalization Construction ● ● Marketing ● ● Pilot Launched Capital Campaign Launched ● Pilot in operation ● Membership meetings and events Pilot Plan: Shipping container tiendita Sell fresh produce, bulk goods, dairy ,eggs, meat Need to solidify location (hopefully this week) ● ● ● ● Will be open 3 days a week to start ● ● Membership recruitment and events: 1200 new 2 part time staff and maybe volunteers members for 2025 Full Store: ● ● ● Depending on success of capital campaign - $5 million+ to raise Location for full store needed Usually takes 3-7 years for co-ops to open Intersection with Food Plan 1. Local food production increase to meet demands and lower costs 2. Support local food producers 3. Distribution needs 4. Food processing and packaging needs 5. Co-op model is a tool for equity and ownership stake 5. Co-op can be part of emergency planning and community strengthening How to Get Involved - Join the co-op! - Connect to brainstorm other bit.ly/Co-opMembershipPledge partnership ideas - Join the Capital Campaign Committee - Sponsor a membership event Drew De Los Santos Executive Director drew@acba.coop 512-222-7032