Victoria (Tory) Clark-West
Executive Director
Every year in October, cooperators everywhere celebrate National Co-op Month. I love Co-op Month because it reminds me to stop and reflect on all the ways that cooperation nourishes our spirits and strengthens our communities. I had fun putting together this list of ways to celebrate Co-op Month and hope you have fun getting out there and cooperating!
Become a member of a food co-op near you
Joining a food co-op is a great (and delicious) way to participate in the cooperative economy. Check out this food co-op finder provided by National Co-op Grocers (NCG). Most food co-ops offer affordable rates of membership (membership at my co-op - Eastside Food Co-op in NE Minneapolis - is a one-time payment of $100) and many will offer memberships that you can pay in installments.
Shop at a local co-op
Search this directory brought to you by The United State Federation of Worker Co-ops to find a worker-owned or democratically governed business near you. For folks in Duluth, NCF’s Dan Gordon would recommend grabbing a scone or muffin from Positively 3rd Street Bakery. (Years ago, Dan used to work at 3rd Street.)
The Freedom Quilting Bee, a Black-owned textile cooperative, was born in the civil rights movement as a way for poor black craftswomen in the Alabama Black Belt to earn money for their families. Credit: Birmingham, Ala. Public Library Archives (Source: Shareable)
Celebrate the diversity of the cooperative movement (articles to read)
A brief history of Black cooperatives in the U.S., Shareable
6 Latinx-led cooperatives you should learn about this Hispanic Heritage Month, Shareable
Host a Movie Night with The Co-op Wars and The Spirit of Cooperation
The Co-op Wars is a documentary produced by Twin Cities Public Television which “tells the story of the idealistic youth who tried to build an alternative to corporate capitalism, the violent struggle that almost tore them apart, and their eventual success in ways they never foresaw.”
The Spirit of Cooperation is a documentary produced by National Tele-Productions. It was produced in 1994, so you have to look past the production value (and the fashion choices) and focus on the smooth stylings of our national treasure, James Earl Jones, who provides the narration.
Play a cooperative board game
Co-opoly is a game of skill and solidarity, where everyone wins - or everyone loses! Find it for purchase through TESA Collective.
True confession: I have yet to play Co-opoly, but it’s on my Christmas list!
Learn about the 7 Co-op Principles (through song!)
Our friends at Columinate created this adorable song to learn about the internationally recognized 7 Co-op Principles. Here’s a bonus (and equally adorable) video from our friends at Cooperative Network on the benefits of co-op ownership.
Support a Cooperative Development Organization
Co-op development organizations like NCF rely on philanthropic, corporate, and individual contributions to allow us to provide assistance to cooperative business owners at all stages of development.
Show your love for the solidarity economy by making a donation to NCF and - while you’re at it - consider a donation to other co-op development centers across the country. Check out the national network of co-op developers for a directory of other co-op development centers.
