The Trinidad Community Co-op is now open for business Tuesday through Saturday 12-6pm. This joint business venture has been a great learning experience and a refreshing grassroots movement with people helping people through community effort, cooperation and dedication. A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democraticaly controlled enterprise.
Cooperatives are organized in response to the needs of the community that they serve. The principles of the Trinidad Community Co-op are to encourage a sustainable community by being and supporting socially and environmentally responsible businesses, providing quality products and honest information about those products, and encouraging community involvement. While also providing education in nutrition, healthy lifestyles, the environment, and providing a community hub for events, information and networking. Local food products such as breads, meats, dairy, and produce are sold through the co-op helping to encourage a strong local economy, food security, and a closer connection between producers and consumers. People can order quality products in bulk, which allows for organic quality foods to be affordable and often cheaper than non-organic foods. This increases the access to nutritious food choices for our community and supports environmental responsibility by cutting down on packaging.
Members of the Cooperative create the financial framework of the cooperative so that it can be of service to the community. By becoming a member of the Trinidad Community Co-op you are helping the coop serve the diverse needs of the people. Membership is a onetime cost of $120 which can be paid over a year’s time, membership is attained when fees are paid in full. Each member receives a 5% discount on all items sold in the store, and on bulk food ordering. Each member is a vote in the Co-op’s direction and focus, by electing Board of Directors and voting on important by-laws which govern the Co-op’s overall vision. Money is tight? Anyone can volunteer 4 hours a month and receive a 5% discount on items in the store. The Trinidad Community Co-op is currently run by all volunteers and involvement from the community is essential to a cooperatives success.
Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. It is the power of the people at it’s best.
So now that your Community Co-op is open, come check out the great products and benefits this business can have for our community.
The greatest resource we have is each other!
Current scheduled events at the Trinidad Community Co-op:
2nd Saturday of every month- members meeting and potluck.
American Sign Language Classes (working on scheduling for weekly classes)
For more info call: General Manager Alesia Murphy @ 719-859-3711
