At the Ignite 2021 Conference Party Benefit Concert, we called on all retailers to dig deep and support a new member of the CATAPULT® Community as they work diligently to open their doors in 2022. Here’s a little more about the initiative:
About Dorchester Food Co-op
The Dorchester Food Co-op is a grassroots initiative to build a community and worker-owned grocery store. Once open the Dorchester Food Co-op will be the only food co-op in the entire city of Boston. The site is located at the corner of Bowdoin and Topliff Street in Dorchester, MA, the largest and most diverse neighborhood in Boston.
Successfully starting a food co-op is no easy feat. For over 10 years, the Dorchester team has been organizing this initiative. They’ve worked tirelessly in their local community to establish a strong foundation through Winter Farmer’s Markets, a community-supported café program, CSAs, and several other initiatives. They’ve also worked hard to find a property, raise funds, and build their membership, which has now surpassed 1,000 household member-owners.
The Goal
ECRS hopes to raise $10,000 by September 1, 2021, to help the Dorchester Food Co-op over this last financial hurdle. To help support this donation goal, ECRS has pledged to match each donation dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000.
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dorchester Food Co-op’s Board Treasurer, Jenny Silverman, who explained to us what a donation from the CATAPULT Community would mean to them. Here’s what she had to say:
What would $10,000 mean to you?
“Most importantly, $10,000 would equip and furnish our cafe space in the store. That’s a really important element for building community and providing residents of the Bowdoin-Geneva community a place to sit, have a cup of coffee, and meet neighbors. Part of our mission is to not just be a grocery store and sell food, but to be a community-builder and bring people together in a common space.
Another thing that $10,000 would do would be to equip our bulk section. When we’ve held our community planning meetings, residents have been asking for a bulk food section. It’s both environmentally friendly and also it’s a cost saving for customers. It’s an important part of our cooperative market. Bulk sections are usually a key feature of co-ops and it’s hard to find other places that have bulk food at all. This contribution would basically cover the cost of the bins, scales, and equipment we need for the bulk grains and spices that people are really looking for.”
Donate Today
To support this cause, please donate before September 1 by visiting ignite.ecrs.com/donate.
A Creative Way to Give: Are you using CATAPULT's Round Up for Charity feature? Consider collecting donations from customers to support this cause! For feature videos and setup information on the Round Up for Charity feature, please visit the ECRS Online Manual.
Donate before September 1 & Receive a Free Poster!
All donors who contribute before September 1 will receive a beautiful poster, specially made by a local artist, to commemorate their donation. If we do not already have a shipping address on file for you, we will reach out to request one.
