Get Involved

By being a shopper at the Co-op you demonstrate your support of the Co-op’s focus on local growers, producers, and organizations that serve our local community. Above and beyond that, there are many ways you can get more involved and participate actively in Co-op affairs.

Volunteer Opportunities

You can support the Co-op as a volunteer by reading to children, organizing donated containers, collecting recycled items, or helping with special events or projects. Watch the Co-op newsletter for volunteer opportunities or check the bulletin boards at the store. You can also inquire at the service desk at either store—Downtown or Cordata—about volunteering.

Contact our volunteer coordinator Laura Steiger if you’d like to volunteer.

Board of Directors

You can represent members and help guide the store as one of the Co-op’s nine-member Board of Directors. Anyone who has been a member for six months and has paid dues for the current year is eligible to run for a director position during the annual election in March. Directors are elected by the members and are legally responsible for running the Co-op.

For more information, stop by either service desk or contact Jean Rogers, or 360-734-8158.

Committees

Members are welcome to attend committee and Board meetings and become active in the governance of the Co-op. Committees include the Member Affairs Committee, the Board Development Committee, and the Finance Committee. Learn more about these committees that study policy issues, provide recommendations, and advise the Board.

Member Forums

The Co-op holds forums for members to gather and discuss issues of importance to Co-op members. The forums are held on an as-needed basis and in past years have focused on topics such as boycotts, whether to carry meat, building our second store, and other aspects of the future of the Co-op.

Dining with the Directors Forum

Dining or Dessert with the Directors Forum (DwD) is an enjoyable way for the Board and Co-op members to get together to share good food and ideas about the Co-op. It’s a great opportunity for members to meet directly with the Board on a more personal level and helps Board members develop policies that truly represent member values and meet member needs. Each DwD evening is focused on a single topic, such as “What makes membership meaningful?” or “What are the most important issues and questions for us to consider as a Co-op in the coming year?” Dinner or dessert is catered by the Co-op’s own Swan Café. Members chat informally in small groups with a board member at each table. At the end of the evening, the group convenes as a whole to summarize key points.

The Board offers two DwD evenings each year. Fifty members are invited—members can sign up at the service desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Preference is given to members who are new to, or have not recently attended a Dining with the Directors forum.

See our Events page for the next Dining with the Directors.