College students create coupon program at local co-op
A group of Williams College students are tapping into a local co-op to聽. A product of Williams鈥� Kinetic, a student think tank,聽聽allows shoppers (members and non-members alike) at Wild Oats, a co-op grocery store in Williamstown, to purchase coupons for extra items when they reach the register. These coupons are then distributed at the nearby聽, whose clients can pick up their free items at Wild Oats.
The program鈥攕pearheaded by Jessica Bernheim, Catharine Parker, Meg Richardson, and Lucas Elek鈥攚as modeled after Naples, Italy鈥檚听聽tradition, in which caf茅-goers can purchase an extra espresso, which is given to a later customer, who simply needs to ask if there is a 鈥渃aff猫 in sospensione.鈥�
Although the group鈥檚 plan did not initially revolve around partnership with a co-op grocery store, they eventually opted to work with Wild Oats over other more conventional choices.
鈥淲ild Oats had appeal because it has a community approach on health food,鈥� Bernheim聽.
Suspended Groceries is furthering the community reach of co-op grocery stores, which are by nature based on community involvement. Food co-ops are locally owned and sell products from local farms and food producers, providing the fresh products typically found at a farmer鈥檚 market, with the added benefit of being open every day. Although anyone can shop at the stores,聽
Bernheim said Kinetic is looking at other stores to partner with, as well as other nearby food banks, and hopes Suspended Groceries can become a national trend.
The Williamstown, MA initiative comes on the heels of the growing co-op scene鈥攖hey are difficult to track, since they are not governed by a single institution, but Stuart Reid, director of Minnesota鈥檚 Food co-op Initiative, estimates that there are approximately聽聽in the country, including 68 founded over the past eight years.
鈥淐o-operatives tend to be very stable organizations in a community,鈥澛�, assistant director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Co-operatives. 鈥淥nce created and successful for a few years, they really tend to last. For many communities the independent grocery stores have disappeared, and those communities that have locally owned co-op grocery stores still have them."
David Durfee, general manager of Wild Oats, credits the Williams students for their initiative in finding a way to tackle local food insecurity.
鈥淏oth the Williams students and Wild Oats Market hope to see Suspended Groceries聽expand and become an integral part of our culture,"聽Durfee聽.听
