May 18, 2015

Hello OFC Member-Owners and Supporters,

May is here – things are blooming, windows are open, and that is a good feeling! Things are blooming and we want memberships to bloom too – and they are! Last month, a Co-op supporter, Miyoko, hosted a house party. She invited a few other people she thought might be interested to hear more about the OFC. Board member Paul Van Auken attended and answered questions, shared the progress of the Co-op, and listened carefully to comments. At the end of the night, 100% of the households joined! What’s more – two of the households that joined have offered to host house parties of their own! It’s exciting and we know momentum is building!

The math is simple – we gain members one at a time, but what is powerful is that each new member gives us access to many more potential members!

 We have three easy ways you can help keep this momentum going:

1. Host your own house party.

2. Captain a table for our June 4 Member Drive event, Co-op Grow-Op!

3. Spread the word about Co-opalooza and join the planning team!

HOST A HOUSE PARTY!

We have had a number of folks and businesses step forward to host a house party – let’s keep up that momentum! We are asking people to host house parties with people in their circles, whether those circles be social, work, faith community, sport, school or some other - people who haven't heard about the Co-op but know you.  It can be a potluck, a wine and cheese night, a game night, a dessert bar – you name it! A board member would be available to make a short, informal presentation and help with the 'ask' for membership.  You can help support our effort by hosting a house party or talking to friend about hosting.  Click here to sign up: Home Party Interest Form

CAPTAIN A TABLE!

We are looking for Table Captains for our June 4^th Member Drive event. We are inviting Michelle Schry from the People’s Co-op in La Crosse to speak with us about the benefits of Co-ops and what a community-owned grocery store can do for us! For this event, you would commit to bringing 7 other people who are not currently members, who are interested in learning more about the Oshkosh Food Co-op and who are considering membership. If you want more information about this event, email us at [email protected] – we can hook you up with the planning committee for additional details. It’s exciting to hear people are already RSVPing for the event! I think it is going to be a fabulous night!

SUPPORT CO-OPALOOZA!

we are still working on plans for Co-opalooza event for the early Fall (tentative date October 3, 2015) - we have the support of some local musicians and want to turn this into a fun member drive event.  If you would like to be part of the planning committee, we would love to have you. Please email us and let us know your interest. You can reach us at [email protected]

Anything else on your mind that we should know about? Have a marketing idea for us or a way to encourage membership? Let us know and we could feature your idea in the future!

In touch,

Kelly Matthews

OFC President