a free publication from the East end food Co-op
October 2026
eastendfood.coop eastendfoodcoop
Thanks to East End Brewing for hosting our Meet The Board social in September!
Why Member Participation Matters
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hat makes the East End Food Co-op different from any other grocery store? The answer is simple—it’s you! East End Food Co-op isn’t owned by a corporation or outside investors—it’s owned by its members. That means every member has an equal voice in shaping the future of the Co-op, whether they’ve been shopping here for decades or just recently joined. It’s one of the things that makes a cooperative truly unique. The modern cooperative movement began more than 180 years ago, when a group of working people in Rochdale, England came together to create a store that would provide quality food at fair prices. They established a set of principles based on democracy, fairness, education, and concern for
the community. Those same values continue to guide cooperatives around the world today. The International Cooperative Alliance recognizes seven Cooperative Principles, including democratic member control, member economic participation, education, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community. They aren’t just ideals— they’re the foundation of how food coops like ours operate every day. Being a member-owner is about more than receiving discounts or patronage dividends. It means helping guide a community-owned business that exists to serve its members, not outside shareholders. That’s where participation matters. Whether you run for the board, attend meetings, or simply share thoughtful
feedback, your involvement helps ensure the Co-op continues to reflect the needs and values of its members. Every voice contributes to decisions that affect our store, our staff, and our community. Unlike conventional businesses, cooperatives depend on engaged owners. A healthy democracy requires participation, and the same is true of a healthy co-op. When members get involved, they help keep the Co-op accountable, responsive, and focused on its mission. This fall, you’ll have opportunities to take part in the democratic life of the East End Food Co-op. We encourage every member to learn about the Board election, get to know the candidates, cast a ballot, and stay connected with the work of your cooperative. Even small acts of participation help strengthen our shared future. The East End Food Co-op has thrived because generations of members have invested not only their money, but also their ideas, their time, and their commitment to cooperation. Together, we continue a tradition that proves businesses can succeed by putting people and community first.
vote for the board!
Board election happening 10/19 – 11/29. New members seated 12/16
board corner What’s it to you? At a recent monthly board meeting, one of EEFC’s employee-members asked the board “What is the Co-op to each of you?” It’s a back-tobasics question, and probably a recurrent one for many members confronted with EEFC’s frequent outreach on matters that impact the store and the community, from proposed boycotts to store relocation to board elections. Given the time limitations at board meetings, and the importance of the question, we decided to make that question the subject of the Board Corner for this issue of The Co-operator.
Nick Leise
On a recent shopping trip to the EEFC, I bought delicious and healthy food from local farms and suppliers, ran into my neighbor and talked about a bike ride we want to do, received some meditation tips from the spice/herbs staff and left with a tasty smoothie from the café. What does the Co-op mean to me? Everything I just mentioned. The EEFC is a place where all are welcome. In a world where food becomes more distant from consumers, and communities become more isolated, the EEFC stands out as a cornerstone for healthy food and healthy people. Where other businesses ship profits far from the store, the EEFC keeps money within the community, providing good jobs and benefits to staff, as well as benefits to members. I am proud to be a member of the EEFC. I am grateful to serve on the Board and to make sure the EEFC continues to grow and maintain its presence in Pittsburgh.
Jeremy Kahn
To me, the East End Food Co-op is foremost a shared economic project—a place where members have made the communal decision to collectively purchase and distribute delicious and healthy food. But in doing so, we become so much more. We become a unique and special community in which we work together, shop together, and learn from one another. A place where we interact with people with different backgrounds and perspectives than our own, all of us on equal footing and with equal stature. A place where we make space for one another, even when we disagree. A place unlike any other in Pittsburgh. Above all, I value the Co-op not simply because of what we do, but because we have chosen to do it together. To me,
that is what makes a cooperative—and a community—worth belonging to.
Desmond Zheng
For me, our co-op is a special place—a pillar for our community, a grocery store whose people and stories we come to recognize and learn, and a venue for ideas to improve our community. Just today while tabling at our co-op, I heard how much EEFC means to us all – from assured quality staples to tend to and improve our health, consideration to make sure an event is gluten-free and welcome to all, to suggestions on recipes to cook for our communities. This is a third space for me and hopefully every other member. Our co-op is a place of impact for many of us who feel like we can’t make a significant difference elsewhere. We do that here. Through our food, events, and community, we feed, entertain, and teach Pittsburghers the benefits of a community-based system versus the perils of corporate America.
Michael Vogel
Frances was a toddler when we moved to Pittsburgh seven years ago. On Saturday mornings, we would go to the Co-op to do our week’s shopping. One of Frances’ first words was “hi”, which she would say to EVERYONE she saw in the crowded store’s aisles. Progressively aggressive was the hi repeated until the hi was returned. The Co-op is not that big. There aren’t that many aisles. There was nowhere to hide. Frances got her way one way or another. I have been a weekly shopper at the Co-op since those early days and weeks. I love that I can engage
with my community in something that is so vital to me and my family: nourishment, sustenance, health, and breaking bread. And since those early days and weeks, the Co-op has come to mean a lot more. I have become involved and love contributing my time because it has brought me wellness. And it has brought me happiness. But mostly, I am happy to serve and be a part of the Co-op because of the simplicity in the joyful hi on a Saturday morning the Co-op provides so many people in our community. That’s what the East End Food Co-op means to me.
Tom Pandaleon
I’ve been an active member of two food co-ops. The initial draw for me in 1979 was to sever the cord of reliance on corporatized supermarkets and their strictly-business approach to food production and distribution. I sensed that things other than price and novelty might be important, and although I may not have been able to say coherently what those things were back then, I knew the opportunity to take responsibility, and more control as a consumer, was something in which I wanted to participate. I appreciated the smaller scale of the food-buying club that eventually morphed into my first co-op, and it’s reliance on member participation and self-governance. I appreciated the stripped-down approach to packaging and marketing. I appreciated the co-op’s growing socioeconomic influence as it grew in the town where it was located. EEFC is a present-day steward of that initial set of values around healthy food, food-production justice, consumer self-governance and selfdetermination. Much about food co-ops has changed in the 45+ years since I first was drawn to the experiment. St a r t -up energ ies d issipat e. Competition demands business sophistication. Growth is a multifaceted challenge. Member/consumer expectations have evolved, presenting competing values. The opportunity, however, remains in essence what it was back then. I still believe in the alternative that co-ops embody.
All things board eastendfood.coop/board-of-directors
Meet the Interim Management Team
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hile the board conducts its search for a new general manager, the Co-op’s bylaws stipulate that a General Management Team will collectively assume the duties and responsibilities of the general manager. The board has identified three department managers as the Interim Management Team (IMT) who will be responsible for the highest level decisions. Additionally, a Dedicated Management Team (DMT) will provide support and input as necessary.
eric cressley
Jen Girty
Erin Myers
Front End Manager
HR Manager
IT Manager
eric cressley has been part of the East End Food Co-op staff since May 2007, though they were a member and frequent shopper for years before that. Service and hospitality are two of eric’s core values. They began at the Co-op as a Manager on Duty in the Front End and have led the department as Front End Manager for the past 14 years. Outside of work, eric stays busy with a wide range of interests, including daily running, ecospirituality, and veganism for the sake of animals, the land, and the planet. They also enjoy listening to The Innocence Mission and spending time with Messenger, the cat who lives with them. eric says Messenger teaches them how to be a better human every day. eric is particularly proud of being part of the team that introduced Food Bucks, which has helped bring many new customers to the Co-op. “There was a lot to figure out,” eric says, “We focused on cooperative values to guide us through the challenges.” For eric, gratitude is a daily practice, including appreciation for the opportunity to serve and connect with Co-op staff and customers. Looking ahead, they envision a 500year business plan that reimagines food access for every living being in a post-capitalist world.
Jen Girty started at the East End Food Co-op in January 2000. Hired to work in Finance, Jen later complemented that work by becoming a cashier after the birth of her first child. In 2014, she accepted the Human Resources Manager position, where she’s had the opportunity to build relationships with generations of Coop staff. For Jen, those relationships are the most rewarding part of her work. She takes pride in being someone employees can turn to—not only with workplace concerns, but when they need someone to listen, offer perspective, or help navigate a difficult moment. “The Co-op is so much more than a workplace,” she says. “It’s the people who give it its heart.” Outside the Co-op, Jen enjoys theater productions, concerts, craft shows, and exploring Pittsburgh. She’s also passionate about preserving family memories, having hand-crafted more than 50 scrapbooks and photo albums over the years. Her family includes her husband of nearly 26 years, two adult children, and Maverick, their four-yearold German Shepherd. Looking ahead, Jen hopes the Co-op continues to grow its reach, strengthen partnerships, and make a meaningful difference in the community it serves.
After 27 years at East End Food Co-op, IT Manager Erin Myers has experienced the Co-op from just about every angle. Hired into the café, Erin spent eight years there before moving into admin, where she has worked for the past 19 years. Along the way, she’s covered shifts in nearly every department—though she admits that her produce experience is limited to bagging green beans for Thanksgiving. One of Erin’s proudest professional accomplishments came in 2006, when she and a team of Co-op employees helped transition the store from a manual register system to modern digital point-of-sale technology. “It was a giant leap to go from analog to digital,” she recalls, calling it the most challenging group project she’s ever worked on. These days, Erin is pursuing a master’s degree in Data Science. She’s also a devoted New York Times crossword fan. But her favorite pastime is jogging through the woods with her dog—and doing her best to keep up. Erin is proud of the Co-op’s ability to adapt and persist through decades of change. When asked about her hopes for the Co-op’s future she said, “ I’m looking forward to having somewhere for people to gather again within the store.”
Program Update
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s the seasons change, our Produce Department fills with the colors, flavors, and hearty ingredients that make fall cooking so satisfying. From crisp, locally grown apples and fresh-pressed cider to an impressive selection of winter squash, root vegetables, sweet potatoes, and other seasonal favorites, there’s plenty to inspire everything from simple weeknight meals to comforting soups, roasts, and desserts. We carry most of the familiar fall favorites shoppers look forward to each year, along with some more exclusive seasonal offerings—like paw-paws and colorful varieties of corn. We asked our knowledgeable Produce staff to tell us about the fall fruits and vegetables they’re most excited to see in the store.
Here’s what they had to share: Frank: Local apples! I especially enjoy heirloom varieties, like Stayman Winesap and Northern Spy. Great for snacking, baking, and making cider! Jeff: Warm, local apple cider.
Nothing reminds me of Fall more.
Dan: Root veg! Roasting parsnips
and turnips… Slaw with daikon watermelon radish and napa…
Julianna: The many-colored corns. I don’t eat them I just like to look at them.
7516 Meade Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 412-242-3598 eastendfood.coop @eastendfoodcoop
Scott: Paw-paws! Matthew: Kabocha Squash!
I love to use it for soups, having it roasted, or stuffed. I’ll also add Pie Pumpkins for a sweet soup or a delicious dessert.
Jordan: Red Kuri Squash—the best squash for fall soups and curries.
Gillian: Acorn Squash roasted! I like to cut them in half and roast them with seasonings, then stuff them with various fillings.
2% discount on all daily purchases 10% quarterly discount on one transaction Save up to 20% on cases via special order The opportunity to run for the board Voting privileges in Co-op elections Access to the EEFC Federal Credit Union And more! Locally printed on FSC certified paper
ince launching in June, our FLOWER program has welcomed 134 participants—including 75 new Co-op members and 59 existing members. That’s 134 people who now have greater access to the savings and benefits of Co-op membership. FLOWER was created in response to growing challenges around SNAP and food access, helping make Coop membership more affordable for people experiencing financial hardship. Participants receive 10% off every purchase, an 18% discount once each quarter, and all the benefits of Co-op membership. They can also pay just $10 annually toward the standard $100 membership cost. Beyond savings, FLOWER helps make cooperative ownership more accessible. By lowering the financial barrier to membership, the program gives more people an opportunity to participate in the Co-op and have a voice in its future. We’re proud to see FLOWER growing—and we’d love to hear how it’s making a difference. If you’ve been positively impacted by the FLOWER program, please share your story by emailing info@eastendfood.coop.
Remembering
Semple St.
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ongtime Co-op member Lee Hart recently shared a memory of Pittsburgh’s Semple Street Co-op, which incorporated in 1972 and closed in 1985. When Semple Street closed, its board encouraged members to join the emerging East End Food Co-op. Lee writes, “I was a member of the Semple Street Co-op. Members were scheduled to go to The Strip at 4:30 in the morning to pick up our orders from the wholesalers. There were very few retailers and the area was mostly closed by noon. The current set-up is much easier…” D o y o u h av e m e m o r i e s o f Pittsburgh’s early food co-ops? We’d love to hear your stories! Share them with us via email at info@eastendfood.coop.