To develop co-op programs that reduce food insecurities and increase economies for Westend residents.

• Ericka Seward agape502@yahoo.com
• Dennisha Rivers dennisharivers@ymail.com
• De'Nita deana17610@aol.com
• Arte Chambers arte.chambers@gmail.com

• Vacant

• Kick Off Cook Out
• Grocery Voucher

If we can make it happen in the west we can make it happen anywhere. I think this committee would be a great place to start the food voucher program. -arte

A piece for the Westend Committee,

Understand this > When it comes to proposing “anything new” to folks who live in the Westend area, we must always, always, always, take into consideration that they are disenfranchised residents “well-guarded” by several barriers such as caution, suspicion, and disbelief, built up from years and years of broken promises and deceptive practices. While leaders and council reps in “other” areas, who “effortlessly” organize residents in “their” districts and neighborhoods, are able to do so because such guards or barriers-of-fear, do not exist within their residents (due to the fact that they've been “treated differently”)!

Westend leaders and council reps, in order to become most effective, must do “the norm” when trying to organize disenfranchised people, and that is…“to work so…much…harder” than leaders and council reps in “other areas! They must literally roll up their sleeves, create unabating organizing strategies, and “develop well trained speakers” who can execute “very persuasive” arguments! The cherry-on-the-cake though, would be in being able to gain their trust! If you work to gain the trust of disenfranchised residents, they will come in droves, because they will spread-the-word that coops are for real!

So, how do you gain their trust? You must be able to “show proof” that you are serious in what you're proposing to deliver and how it will all be beneficial to residents. > They need to “see” samples of already established “coop” grocery stores (through the eyes of the customers that use their services), they need to “know” why “community-owned” grocery stores are different from “private-owned” grocery stores. They need to “know” why their coop grocery stores would have an even stronger support system, and they need to “see and get familiar with” the coop members, who are driving this proposed project into existence!
-De'Nita

I'm totally interested Arte and I think that's extremely necessary. DeNita is the leader of our Coalition of West Louisville Neighborhood Associations and I hope she could join us as well. I agree with you about engaging with our owners in the west end because I think they've kinda drifted into the shadows. Please count me in!

I think the purpose is to engage “our owners”, specifically who are residents of the west end. One thing that was extremely irritating is finding out that most of those involved in the previous decision making of the project weren't even west end residents. I don't want others who don't live here making decisions for me and I think other west end residents would feel the same. Just my 2 cents. 😉 -Ericka

I’d join, but it’s a really busy time for other co-op business right now. When we get to those monthly trainings though… One first step might be to look through a print out of all owners for West Enders we recognize, for special invitations. MORE people to do outreach in their neighborhoods! I wonder if there’s still a batch of “I’m a Food Co-op Owner” yard signs in storage??

P.S. although the mission of the Co-op includes food security as well as economic empowerment, I never thought it was specifically or only meant as West End. Historically, Smoketown certainly applies too, like other zip codes. But the sense of purpose among Co-op decision makers always seemed to prefer West End (until Smoketown won). At least DeNita was there! Lots of initiatives were made in the West & some really good participation for tabling, pop-up markets, meeting locations, etc. Cost is a factor, even though payment plans and scholarships were applied. There’s only a couple of us from Portland, too. It’s money. -Judy

If it becomes a thing it should be a subgroup of the owner engagement committee with a focus to engage west end residents and turn them into owners. There was never any intent of organizing outside of west end. It’s just that leaders and Council reps in other areas organized owners in their districts and neighborhoods. Even after a year hosting monthly owner meetings in Russell, we have only had a small percentage of owners from the west. As residents say all the time that we don’t want someone else making decisions for us, then we have to step up, invest and roll up our sleeves and work. We have to organize. West end leaders have to organize.

We need to change our perspectives. We are owners of a cooperative. We aren't proposing some outlandish new business for others. We are building a grocery store for ourselves and our neighbors.

While West End neighborhoods are in need, its not the only place in need. I continue to say there is no grocery store between the river and the UofL. That means residents in Smoketown, Shelby Park, Old Louisville, Limerick and those who live in or near the central business district - Phoenix Hill, NULU, too are without grocery stores. West Louisville has two Kroger and a SavALot.

Then Councilwoman Barbara Sexton-Smith and Councilman David James, who represented the aforementioned neighborhoods, tapped their aides and called the neighborhood leaders in their districts and made sure those residents completed surveys we had, showed up to meetings and put information in their newsletters about LCG. Many of them were low-income seniors. One of them died - a dependable LCG owner and volunteer. That's not hard work for West End residents or Council representatives if it's what people want. The norm is people using their resources to organize.

I was a contractor for the Smoketown neighborhood plan some years ago and some of the residents there didn't trust us because of past broken promises and had to be convinced - or not (some weren't) - to be engaged in the process. Community engagement in many areas requires work, persuasive arguments, etc. It takes a lot of work, many touches, to reach people and move them to action. It's the work. And once people do join, its still work to move them to action.

I'm at year 7 at this. Some of the time, I didn't have a car, but I showed up. Sometimes I didn't know how I was going to pay my bills, and I kept showing up. Many times I have questioned, “Where is everyone else and why can't they do more? Where's the money coming from and who will believe in us?” and I kept showing up. I could have said, “I've done my part. It's someone else's work.” I have and have kept showing up.

It could be said that this work is hard. It could be said community engagement is challenging. And so what? It continues.

I believe four of our six board members are West End residents. If we want more West End residents to be owners and leaders in our co-op, what are we going to do to make it so? We need to triple our ownership base! Let's focus on that. -Cassia