January 2020 Partner of the Month
The Littleton Food Co-op is pleased to announce their Healthy Food Access (HFA) program as Partner of the Month for January. The Neighboring Food Co-op Association and the Cooperative Fund of New England created the Food Co-ops and Healthy Food Access Project to support neighboring food co-ops to make healthy food and co-op ownership more accessible to all community members. This project is supported by Jane’s Trust, and project partners include Hunger Free Vermont and New England Farmers Union. Healthy Food Access strives to increase access to healthy food for those with limited means; support collaboration among food co-ops to engage and serve individuals and families with limited food budgets; and demonstrate the capacity of food co-ops to increase access to healthy food and co-op membership for everyone.
Because co-ops are community owned they are able to focus on meeting community needs before making profits. Food co-ops are recognized leaders in offering healthy foods and contributing to the local economy by marketing locally grown and produced goods. Some co-ops face challenges in serving and engaging community members with limited food budgets. To help address this challenge, member-owned Littleton Food Co-op is participates in the collaboration to increase healthy food access.
The Littleton Food Coops missions is to provide a community owned marketplace that supports local and promotes healthy choices for people and planet. The co-op recognizes that purchasing a membership share could be a financial challenge. By featuring Healthy Food Access during January, co-op shoppers may contribute to a share scholarship fund. Co-op membership is required to participate in the Healthy Food Access (HFA) program which provides a 10% discount on purchases (some exceptions apply). Members who are currently recipients of SNAP, supplemental security income, or other supplemental assistance may apply. With the funds raised during January, anyone facing financial challenges can receive a membership share and have access to the HFA program. They are also on their way to becoming a full voting member if they choose.
About our Partner of the Month Program
Through our Partner of the Month Program, the Littleton Food Co-op sponsors a different local non-profit each month of the year. Partners are chosen by people like you — we host an annual Partner of the Month Fair in which member-owners vote for their favorites. We help to raise funds a number of ways:
- Donation collection boxes with partner branding are placed at each register operating in the store.
- Every Friday Evening, $1 from every Pizza sold is donated to the Partner of the Month
- The Partner of the Month may, should they choose, decorate the bulletin board in our entrance foyer.
- The Partner of the Month may, should they choose, to set up a Meet the Partner Night on a Friday night during their month.
- NEW! Pennies for Partners: Customers paying with a credit or debit card may round up their purchases and the balance goes directly to the partner of the month.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our program or would like to become a Partner, please e-mail bcolpitts@littletoncoop.org
2019 Partners
January: Healthy Food Access $2,165.82
February: Mt Eustis $2,662.53
March: Bancroft House $3,381.31
April: North Country Beekeepers $3,511.82
May: Believe in Books $5,183.36
June: Second Chance Animal Shelter $6,045.71
July: Boys & Girls Club $5,793.85
August: PRKR MTN Trails & Bethlehem Trails Association
September: Littleton Studio School
September One-Day: NCG’s Future Farmers of America
September One-Day: Twin Pines Cooperative Community Fund
October: Area Food Pantries
November: Littleton Dog Park
December: Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country
2020 Partner of the Month Fair
Tuesday, August 20 from 3 pm to 6 pm. Come to the co-op and meet next year’s potential Partners, learn about their work in the community, and vote! Please view the full list at the bottom of this page.
In 2020 we will have nine openings for Partner of the Month, which includes the opportunity for in-store fundraising, awareness campaigns through the co-op’s advertising, and our popular “Round-Up” donation program.
In order to support a variety of causes, the potential Partners selected categories for themselves – we’d like to have at least one Partner from each! They include the following:
- Recreation & Environmental
- Arts & Education
- Human Services
- Animal Welfare
How Voting Works:
The deadline to submit letters of intent is August 6th 2019. All Partners must be locally focused, socially and environmentally responsible, and non-political and secular.
This year, voting will be open from August 20th through August 27th.
Only full or partial members may vote. Each member will receive one Ballot, and members may choose up to nine Partners per Ballot.
The organization with the most votes will get first choice for their preferred month. The next organizations will choose their preferred month, in the order of votes earned. If any categories are not fully represented we will choose the most votes of a category for the remaining months.
In October, November, and January we will be supporting the Twin Pines Community Fund, area food pantries, and our own Healthy Food Access Program respecively. In the event of an emergency situation that needs funding we will contact the Partner for the month to see if they are willing to forfeit Round-Up earnings for three days.
Please note that organizations may not be a Partner of the Month for more than 2 consecutive years and are welcome to apply in the third year.
If you have questions about our Partner of the Month Program, please contact our Community Outreach Coordinator, Becky Colpitts, at bcolpitts@littletoncoop.org
The Results Are In: Meet Our 2020 Partners!
January – Healthy Food Access Program
February – Believe in Books Literacy Foundation
March – North Country Beekeepers Association
April – Habitat for Humanity / Ammonusuc Region
May – White Mountain Mental Health
June – Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country
July – Littleton Dog Park
August – Copper Cannon Camp
September – Disabled American Veterans / North Country Chapter 21
October – Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation
November – Local Food Pantries
December – Bethlehem Trails Association & PRKR MTN Trails
The the full list of voting results are available here.
