Rebuild Steep Hill For Success
April 28, 2023
Dear Steep Hill members,
It was great to see so many members at the Special Meeting on Monday night. Clearly, you want Steep Hill to not just survive, but to thrive!
We need to build back our capital reserves and invest in needed improvements to the store. The new interim Board has set up a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $50,000. You will be part of Steep Hill’s future by donating what you can. Saving the store and keeping the co-op going will return untold value to you as an individual, and as a member of this community.
Our food supply is becoming more vulnerable and precarious. In a world facing climate change, where global supply chains stretch all the way around the world and are vulnerable to the impacts of war and social unrest, and where gigantic grocery retailers take record profits while people struggle to make ends meet – it is increasingly difficult for individuals to have any meaningful say about the food we eat.
But we can! We can do it by making sure Steep Hill is here to …
- Serve our neighbourhood when the big grocery stores move to the suburbs,
- Provide a market for local farmers who grow food for people,
- Supply city shoppers with fresh, healthy food that reflects our values,
- Keep grocery dollars circulating in our own community,
- Create community and connect people to each other,
- Support an eco-friendly food system – one of the most powerful ways to protect our climate and our biodiversity.
Steep Hill Co-op presents a compelling alternative to the mainstream food system.
Your new Board will spend donated money wisely and strategically to put the building blocks in place for success. Each step will make the next one easier, and so on, to make the co-op stronger.
If you preferred to donate by cheque, make it out to Steep Hill Co-op and put “donation” in the memo line, bring it in to the store, or pop it in the mail. We will maintain a separate bank account for donations to ensure that these dollars are dedicated to our rebuilding strategy.
Your energy, knowledge and connections will also make Steep Hill thrive. Please take a few minutes to fill in this survey to tell about ideas, skills, interests, etc. that you may be able to contribute to rebuild Steep Hill for success!
The strength of a co-operative is many people working together for a common goal. What each of us can do alone is tiny compared to what we can do together. Let’s climb this steep hill together, for the future Steep Hill!
Yours co-operatively,
Cathy Holtslander
On behalf of the Steep Hill Interim Board