Why I Serve: Faye Conte
As we get ready to celebrate our 40th Anniversary at the Annual Member Meeting, I have been reflecting on all the ways that City Market is ingrained in our community. If, forty years ago, a group of individuals didn’t join together to create a buying club, we would be missing out on so much more than a great downtown grocery store. City Market’s commitment to supporting its community is one of the reasons that I decided to run for the board a year ago and continues to be why I enjoy serving as a board member.
City Market supports the community in a wide variety of ways, from serving as the downtown grocery store, to financially supporting area nonprofits, to helping small farmers and other cooperatives throughout Vermont grow and thrive. I could write about any of these, but today I want to focus on how City Market is leading other food cooperatives in New England in an effort to increase food access and build community by creating a store that welcomes everyone into its store.
City Market is what we call a “hybrid” food co-op, meaning it sells conventional, generic brand food that you would traditionally expect to find at a supermarket in addition to the local, organic, and Fair Trade products you expect to find at a food co-op or natural foods store. This variety means that there are products available at a wide range of prices, giving customers more control over their purchases and how much they spend buying groceries. Additionally, in 2008, City Market launched Food For All, a program that offers a 10% discount to shoppers participating in assistance programs like 3SquaresVT, WIC, and SSI. This discount helps more community members access the co-op. Food co-ops around New England are using City Market as a model, launching “Basics Programs,” which lower the price of everyday items, and discount programs similar to Food For All. I am proud of my co-op for leading the way in creating an inclusive and accessible store, for welcoming shoppers who may not otherwise shop at a co-op or natural foods store. Serving on the board allows me the opportunity to support this work and ensure that our entire community has access to healthy, affordable, and delicious foods.