Dorchester Community Food CoDorchester Community Food CoDorchester Community Food CoDorchester Community Food Co----opopopopBuilding Community Support and Partnerships Building Community Support and Partnerships Building Community Support and Partnerships Building Community Support and Partnerships

for a Multifor a Multifor a Multifor a Multi----Stakeholder Food CoStakeholder Food CoStakeholder Food CoStakeholder Food Co----opopopop

Dorchester is Boston’s largest and most diverse

neighborhood. The more than 100,000

residents represent a wide range

of socio-economic, racial and

ethnic groups.

Mission Mission Mission Mission The Dorchester Community Food Co-op (DCFC) will be a community and worker owned cooperative enterprise that provides economic opportunity and access to healthy, affordable food for residents of Dorchester and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Key DecisionKey DecisionKey DecisionKey Decision

The Co-op project has three main objectives:

� Economic Development� Access to Healthy Food

� Active Community Space

Why a MultiWhy a MultiWhy a MultiWhy a Multi----Stakeholder CoStakeholder CoStakeholder CoStakeholder Co----op? op? op? op? � Begin to create a co-op economy in Dorchester, that involves community residents as well as workers in the enterprises

� Expand the cooperative economy through purchasing products and services from existing co-ops and supporting the launch of new co-ops

� Create a community asset that provides long-term job opportunities with growth potential for neighborhood residents.

� Having workers as owners ensures that workers have a seat on the Board and a say in the running of the business.

Structure of OwnershipStructure of OwnershipStructure of OwnershipStructure of Ownership• Two classes of member-owners:

– Community-owners• Member share = $100 per household• Community member owners elect representatives

to the Board of Directors (x # of seats)• Certain percent of profit distributed in Patronage

dividend based on $$ spent during year

– Worker-owners• Member share = $250 per worker• Worker member owners elect representatives to

the Board of Directors (x # of seats)• Certain percent of profit distributed in Patronage

dividend based on # of hours worked during year

Example of Example of Example of Example of Consumer/Worker Owned Food CoConsumer/Worker Owned Food CoConsumer/Worker Owned Food CoConsumer/Worker Owned Food Co----opopopop

• Weaver St. Market (North Carolina)www.weaverstreetmarket.coop

Community Organizing StrategyCommunity Organizing StrategyCommunity Organizing StrategyCommunity Organizing Strategy

• Identify and meet with key individuals in the community– Schedule one-on-ones to present co-op idea– Invite participation in co-op activities– Recruit leadership for the co-op and plug people into

volunteer activities

• Identify and meet with key groups in the community/city– Neighborhood associations and block groups– Social service agencies– Activist issue organizations– City agencies

• Create activities and events to generate interest in the co-op, connect the co-op identity to positive community building, and begin to build an interest list– Have co-op materials at every event– Sign up lists at every event– Begin to provide value to the community, particularly

through “placemaking” events– Hold events in different parts of the neighborhood– Meetings are not always the best way to draw in

people– Bring in community partners for each event– Do publicity around each event

Examples of reaching out to Examples of reaching out to Examples of reaching out to Examples of reaching out to individuals and potential partnersindividuals and potential partnersindividuals and potential partnersindividuals and potential partners

March March March March 2011201120112011

Series of initial meetings with community activists, neighborhood groups and municipal agencies to explore Dorchester Food Co-op concept. These meetings continue throughout the development of the co-op

April/May2011April/May2011April/May2011April/May2011� First community information meeting

held to discuss plans to start a Dorchester Co-op.

� Begin to gather names for Co-op Interest List.

� First meeting of steering committee

JuneJuneJuneJune----August 2011August 2011August 2011August 2011� Attend Community Fairs� Table at Farmers’ Markets

across Dorchester

� DCFC represented at City of Boston Urban Agriculture Kickoff�Coop invited to participate in Mayor’s Food Policy Council

January 2012January 2012January 2012January 2012

� Receive Matching Grants from TreflerFoundation and Boston Impact Initiative for feasibility studies and to support organizational capacity building.

�Hire 3-person part-time team to handle project management, outreach and organizing, and pilot lines of business development

October October October October ––––November November November November 2012201220122012

� Hire Winter Farmers’ MarketManager and begin fundraising and recruiting vendors

Lynn Murray, Jhana Senxian, Jenny Silverman

Jennie Msall

Neighborhood Groups:Neighborhood Groups:Neighborhood Groups:Neighborhood Groups:Ashmont Hill Association

Ashmont Adams AssociationCedar Grove Association

Codman Square Neighborhood Council and Health CommitteeFields Corner Five Streets Association

Hancock St. Civic AssociationMeetinghouse Hill Civic Association

Peabody Slope AssociationNeighborhood Improvement Committee (Codman Square)

ROC (Redefining Our Community) TNT (Talbot Norfolk Triangle)

UNA (United Neighborhoods Association)

In addition to meeting with dozens of individuals, the DCFC organizers have met with the following organizations and groups

Health Centers Health Centers Health Centers Health Centers Wellness OrganizationsWellness OrganizationsWellness OrganizationsWellness Organizations

Boston Collaborative for Food and FitnessBoston Public Health Commission

Bowdoin St. Health Center—Food in the Hood CommitteeCarney Hospital

Codman Square Health CenterFamily Nurturing Center

Harbor Health/Geiger Health CenterHealthworks Codman Square

Mattapan Collaborative on Food and FitnessPatch Program

WIC Nutritionists Committee

Community OrganizationsCommunity OrganizationsCommunity OrganizationsCommunity OrganizationsEducational InstitutionsEducational InstitutionsEducational InstitutionsEducational Institutions

AFAB-KAFANM Association of Haitian WomenBoston Architectural College

Center for Community Health, Education & ResearchDorchester Arts Collaborative

Dot Grows Garden Council/Boston Natural Areas NetworkFour Corners Action Coalition

GreenDorchester(formerly Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition)

Sustainability Guild InternationalThe Food Project

Community Economic Community Economic Community Economic Community Economic Development OrganizationsDevelopment OrganizationsDevelopment OrganizationsDevelopment Organizations

Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets Codman Square NDCDorchester Bay EDC

Fields Corner Main StreetsFour Corners Main Streets

St. Marks Area Main StreetsUphams Corner Main Streets

Viet AID

City AgenciesCity AgenciesCity AgenciesCity AgenciesBoston DND

Food Initiatives of the Mayor’s OfficeMayor’s Food Policy Council

Boston Public Health Commission

FoundationsFoundationsFoundationsFoundationsThe Boston Foundation

Community Law FoundationKendall FoundationTrefler Foundation

Boston Impact Initiative

Examples of Activities and EventsExamples of Activities and EventsExamples of Activities and EventsExamples of Activities and Events

JuneJuneJuneJune2011201120112011

• Food Co-op volunteers march in Dorchester Day Parade and create first

visibility for Co-op

Summer 2011Summer 2011Summer 2011Summer 2011� First Co-op Community Potluck in

Nightingale Community Garden

SeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember2011201120112011

� First $5 Meal Challenge—more than 70 people attend

JanuaryJanuaryJanuaryJanuary----March 2012March 2012March 2012March 2012� Winter Farmers’ Market Grand

Opening attracts 650 shoppers on first day, appearances by Mayor Meninoand other dignitaries

Fall 2012Fall 2012Fall 2012Fall 2012� Begin to organize for Winter Farmers’

Market� Kickstarter Campaign raises money

for the market AND creates community buzz and outreach for the market

Winter Farmers Market!Winter Farmers Market!Winter Farmers Market!Winter Farmers Market!

April April April April 2012201220122012

� Pot Luck and Membership kickoff April 1

� Co-op receives Mayor Menino’s2012 Green Sustainable Food Leadership Award

� Co-op awarded Boston Public Health Commission Strategic Alliance for Health Food Access Grant to run Community Supported Café in Summer of 2012

MayMayMayMay2012201220122012

June June June June 2012201220122012

� Goal of 100 member-owners by Dorchester Day achieved.

� DCFC marches for second year in Dorchester Day Parade

AugustAugustAugustAugust2012201220122012

� “Fresh Fridays” is a smash success, drawing more than 750 to the First Parish Church on Friday evenings for healthy food, music, and dynamic space for celebrating the diversity of Dorchester.

Fresh Fridays: Fresh Fridays: Fresh Fridays: Fresh Fridays: A Global Fusion of Taste & Sound

� “Fresh Fridays Grand Finale in the Coleman St. Community Garden is attended by the Mayor and is attended by over 250 local residents!

SeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember2012201220122012

December 2012December 2012December 2012December 2012� Holiday Party and first Annual Meeting at Cesaria’s Restaurant in Bowdoin Geneva. Attended by 80 people—more than half people of color.

JanuaryJanuaryJanuaryJanuary----March March March March 2013201320132013

� Second Season of Winter Farmers’ Market: Despite being plagued with snowy Sundays—attendance equal to first season with much higher diversity ratios

March 2013March 2013March 2013March 2013� Seafood Festival at Winter Market co-sponsored by Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness and Northwest Atlantic marine Alliance draws big crowds.

Winter Farmers Market Season 2!Winter Farmers Market Season 2!Winter Farmers Market Season 2!Winter Farmers Market Season 2!

Next stepsNext stepsNext stepsNext stepsVision� Develop plan for departments, product mix and store design

� Continue to develop affordability models

� Develop model for worker-owner component of co-op

Community and Membership� Build levels of engagement

� Continue developing neighborhood teams and hold a series of house parties, film nights and “meet-ups at local restaurants

� Achieve 2013 Membership Drive Goal of 500 household member-owners by December 31, 2013. Current count is 243.

� Continue to build development partners

� Continue to develop institutional partners

� Create “task” committees

Funding� Continue Grant writing process to fully fund development and feasibility stage and begin funding for implementation

� Continue selling equity shares. Current equity is $20,658

� Begin identifying sources for the $1.1 million in grants we need to open the store

Systems� Create fully operational website

� Create solid database and communication system

� Do we need public presence (office space?)