ABOUT THE CO-OP

Nonprofit Partnerships Expand the Options for “Doing Hours”

by Karen Schoenewaldt, Weavers Way 50th Anniversary Planning Committee

Our Germantown store, which is now under construction, is the newest sign of Weavers Way’s economic staying power. What’s less visible but just as important are the Co-op’s efforts to build a network with local nonprofits that share an interest in sustainability, advocacy and urban agriculture.

Ten years ago, then-Outreach Coordinator Bettina de Caumette came up with the idea to expand the choices for work shifts by partnering with local nonprofits. In doing so, we serve a central mission to build community, both within the Co-op’s membership and in the communities we serve. In practical terms, the benefits go both ways: work hours can be more flexible, members learn something new and many of these jobs allow members to bring their kids.

If you’re looking for work credit and are ready to try something different, consider these possibilities:

• Take a Philly Goat Project goat for a walk

• Deliver meals in your neighborhood with Germantown’s Northwest Mutual Aid Collective

• Help with farm chores at Saul Agricultural High School in Roxborough, or tend Food Moxie’s garden beds behind Stenton Family Manor or Martin Luther King High in East Germantown

• Weed the garden at C.W. Henry School in Mt. Airy

• Muck out stables for farm animals

• Prune, weed or do other outdoor tasks at an arboretum

• Help set up for special events

As one working member put it, "I love the community aspect of my Co-op and enjoy volunteering in different capacities, meeting new people and learning how things work behind the scenes. Another commented, “Everyone was friendly and appreciated me helping. I felt like I contributed something and realized all the hard work that goes into making such a business work!"

As part of our celebration of Weavers Way's 50th anniversary, we'll include a lesser-known tidbit about the Co-op's history in every issue of the Shuttle this year. If you know, you know — if not, that's ok, too!