July 2020 Update from GM Chris Roland
Hello Co-op Owners, Neighbors & Friends:
YOU did it! June 30 brought a close to our second owner loan campaign and we surpassed our goal of raising $750K. Many folks questioned why we would try to raise money during a pandemic and we agreed: it wouldn’t be easy. But we’d learned that banks don’t like approving loans for startup businesses without a personal guarantor. We also understood that COVID-19 was highlighting weaknesses in our food chain and making folks more aware than ever that local food matters. We’re excited about successfully raising the funds needed to bring a new outlet for local producers to Fredericksburg.
A huge THANK YOU to all our owners who invested in the Food Co-op. You’ve really shown that you are willing to go above and beyond to get this store built and we promise to bring you an amazing place to shop and a community organization that will serve this area for decades to come. Finally, regarding the loan campaign, our heartfelt gratitude to all of our incredible volunteers who organized and pulled off this amazing feat. Along with the financial roadblocks during this campaign, we were further challenged because we couldn’t get together in person, but our intrepid volunteers pulled it off anyway. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this Co-op. When we can gather again, we will celebrate!
Store plans are in with the city for permit and we will be choosing our General Contractor before the next newsletter comes out. Soon after that we’ll be starting construction to build our great store. We’ll also be hiring soon, so keep an eye out for job postings. They will be in several places and you can find our job postings on Facebook and our website.
Thanks everyone. Stay safe and be kind out there. Can’t wait to see you in the store!