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FROM THE GROUND UP
Common Ground's Monthly E-Newsletter
September 1, 2016 
MEETING OF OWNERS (MOO) SEPT. 18TH


Our Annual Meeting of Owners (MOO) is this September 18th, from 1-3pm at the

The MOO is a great opportunity to gain more insight about your Co-op ownership and its impacts on our community. Meet our staff, current and prospective board members, and other owners. Learn more about our Ends, share your input, and enjoy tasty Co-op food. Win raffle prizes and store coupons. Vote on our Board of Directors and the 2017 Round Up For Good organizations.
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS THIS MONTH








  

  







Attention all Co-op owners, elections are this month!

From September 1-9, we will be accepting nominations in-store for next year's Round Up For Good Program. Round Up For Good is a community funded program that allows any customer to round up their total to the nearest dollar and see the change donated to a featured local organization of the month. As an owner, you can nominate up to 3 different local organizations that align with at least two of the Co-op's Ends. Fill out a paper nomination form located past the registers. The top 20 organizations nominated will be on the fall election ballot, and the 11 organizations with the most votes will become the featured organizations for 2017. One month is automatically reserved for the Co-op's Food For All Program, our food accessibility program that grants free classes, free ownership, store discounts for eligible applicants.

Remember that if you share your owner number with a household, only one person can nominate and vote. By our bylaws, voting is open only to Co-op owners joining prior to September 1, 2016.

Applications have already been received for the Board of Directors. Thank you to all the owners who applied! Watch for an election announcement next week with candidate and voting information. Candidate applications will be posted online and in-store.  

Starting September 10, voting for the Board of Directors and the 2017 Round Up organizations will be available online and in-store past our registers. The last chance to vote is September 18th at the Meeting of Owners (MOO). As another reminder, voting is open only to Co-op owners joining prior to September 1, 2016.
ART GALLERY RECEPTION: PARKLAND ARTISTS

Twelve artists from the Metalworking and Jewelry Programs at Parkland College have displayed their artwork in the Co-op Art Gallery. 

Thank you to Eric Wildhagen, Jackie Carrubba, Carmon Egolf, Erin Rogers, Lori Kendall, Alexie Wright, Joseph Talavera, Ruta Rauber, Kristin Marshall, Micah Klaman, Karissa Marshall, Jessica Stanze, Jordan Bidner, Danielle Segerstrom, Rashmi Kapoor, and Renee Cooper for letting us display your pieces.

The Art Gallery Reception will take place on Friday, September 23rd from 6:30-8:30pm.

Meet the artists, partake in some wine tasting, sample Co-op delicacies, and admire locally-crafted artwork. Information on Parkland College courses will be available.
FROM SATINA, OUR GENERAL MANAGER



















Thank you to everyone who wrote us in response to our announcement to discontinue working on the Champaign store project. We received a lot of supportive emails and it's great to see that you support us in ensuring the fiscal success of the whole organization. The Champaign store project was desired by many of our owners but just because we've taken that project off our To-Do list doesn't mean we've slowed down here at our Urbana store. We've focused our efforts more directly and have continued with our many projects.

Here is a little taste of what's going on:
  • We've paid back all of the 2015 owner loans made to support the Champaign store.
  • We've received three new coolers, installed one, and planned installation of two more. These will allow for us to keep all frozen meats together, better highlight seasonal or sale frozen items, and stock all of our Grab 'n Go beverages in one location.
  • We've made a large staff structure change which has allowed for us to raise our base pay to $10.50/hour for entry level and $15/hour for manager level without increasing overall store labor expense.
  • We've been creating better operational systems and investing in better equipment for our staff to use in their daily work.  
  • We're planning a large product input activity to happen in the store which will involve all customers interested in participating.
  • We've been reformatting our education programming so that we are more selective of our formal classes and that these are timed more consistently so we can rededicate some educational effort into new events, like movie nights.
  • We're planning a redesign of the store's entryway which will help us to provide better information to our customers about what's going on in the store.  
  • And so much more!
As always, if you ever have any questions or comments please reach out to me at satina.braswell@commonground.coop.
UNDERGRAD ESSENTIALS
 







  
Shared living spaces, limited budgets and a shortage of time are banes of undergrad existence. Here are some low cost items at Common Ground that don't take up a lot of space and can be made quickly.
OWNER DAYS: SEPT 21-25


Owner Days are coming up at the end of September! Enjoy 10% off one shopping trip between September 21-25! We will have additional specials, giveaways, and sales in all departments, just for owners. Not an owner yet? Sign up to enjoy the savings. Owner Deals happen three times a year!

The 10% off excludes sale items, alcohol, and Co-op Basics.
WHAT'S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?

Anytime you are out of ideas for dinner, the likelihood that your food budget will take a beating increases.

Common Ground's Food For All recipes are budget friendly, make multiple servings, and take as little as 20 minutes to prepare. You can find the Food For All recipes facing the grab and go deli case at the south end of the store. Over the next few months, we will be developing new recipes to add to the collection. If you have recipe requests, please don't hesitate to let us know via email or on Facebook.

Another way we are trying to help you stretch your food dollars is with our What's for Dinner Tonight? recipes for items that are on flash sale. Flash sales occur when our distributors send us too much of a produce item or an item that is at peak ripeness and won't last. In August, we featured Ethiopian Collard Greens. Look for more of these recipes throughout the store in the coming weeks.
SUPPLEMENT SAFETY AND YOUR HEALTH


In October 2015, the Council for Responsible Nutrition published survey results showing that an estimated 68% of Americans take one or more dietary supplements daily to fill nutritional gaps, address diagnosed nutrient deficiencies and support or improve physiological function for more optimal health. Of the people surveyed, 80 percent believe nutritional supplements are safe and effective. That belief is well-founded as dietary supplement companies are held accountable for the safety of their products and supplements in America have an enviable safety record. Read more here.
 Thanks for reading our newsletter!
 
This offer can only be used once per owner and is valid  the entire month of September. It can be printed or presented on smart device at time of purchase. Limit one coupon per customer. Applies to all store items besides those that are on sale or considered Co-op Basics.
Common Ground Food Co-op  300 S. Broadway Ave, Urbana, IL, 61801
In This Issue
CO+OP DEALS
Co-op Deals










       Click the links below for Co+op Deals for September!


IMPORTANT DATES
Round Up For Good Nominations

Paper nomination forms available Sept. 1-9 past the registers.

First Fridays Samples

Friday Sept. 2, 4:30-8pm

Owner Elections

Sept. 10-18 online and in-store
(Board of Directors & Round Up For Good Nominations)

Board Candidate Forum

Saturday Sept. 10th, 10-12pm, Flatlander Classroom

Local Flavors at the Deli

Sept. 11th, 11-2pm

Board Meeting

Monday Sept. 12th, 6:15-8:15pm, Lincoln Square Conference Center

Owner Days
Sept. 21-25th, 10% OFF shopping trip and daily savings for owners

MOO (MEETING OF OWNERS)

Sunday Sept. 18th, 1-3pm, U-C Independent Media Center

Art Gallery Reception

Friday September 23,
6:30-8:30pm, Flatlander Classroom
SEPTEMBER ROUND UP
The TIMES Center










Please help raise funds for the TIMES Center, a local shelter in Champaign that provides transitional housing for homeless men. The TIMES Center has experienced severe cuts in State and Federal funding, so make sure to support this vital service.
AUGUST ROUND UP
Education Justice Project (EJP)
(August 1-15th)
Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC)
(August midday 15th-31st)



Thank you to all of the volunteers from EJP and CCHCC for stopping in multiple times throughout the month to educate our customers on the social services that both organizations provide. We also couldn't have raised over $3,332 without the help of small donations at the registers. Thank you to all who participated!
LOCAL PRODUCE
52 Local Items in Produce

















Have you seen this pillar in our Produce Department? We are proud that we have 52 produce items that have been grown less than 100 miles from the Co-op.

87% of our produce is certified organic!

When you buy local produce, you support the welfare of your local farmers. Look for a green tag that marks local produce!
DELI SPECIALS
Co-op Classics

September is a great month for owners here at the Co-op. 

The Deli will feature discounts on some of our classics dishes-Kickin' Kale, Peanut Sesame Noodles, Pizza Slices, and Sharon's Hummus just to name a few. 

Join us for at Local Flavors on Sunday, Sept. 11th when we convert our Salad Bar into a Local Food Bar!
STAFF PICKS

Camile McFarland spreads joy to our team as a hardworking Deli Clerk in our Prepared Foods department. You will see her in the morning fixing specialty coffees, sandwiches, pizzas and stocking our Salad bar. 

We chose to feature her in the Staff Picks section because we were continually receiving glowing reviews about her in August comment cards! She loves working at the Co-op because she "works with wonderful people, the pay is great, and enjoys making customers feel at home". In addition to being a stellar co-worker and friend, Camile enjoys coloring books and family games with her husband and two kids.
NEW ARTISTS
Lara and Arlin Orr
Mother and son artists,  Lara and Arlin Orr, will be featured in the Co-op Art Gallery by September 25th!

Stop by the Flatlander Classroom to see their collaborative pieces displayed.
TOUR THE CO-OP
Would You Like A Personal Tour?
New to the Co-op and want to be more familiar? Sign up for a personal tour where we can guide you through the tastiest products, our education programs, co-op and owner deals, and local food buying practices.
Copyright ©2015 Common Ground Food Co-op. All rights reserved.