Flexible, Responsive & Connected - the Compelling Co-op Difference
While the world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis, co-operatives in industry and services are reorganizing themselves, finding strength in the people and communities they serve.
It’s not surprising to social-economic strategists that COVID-19 spurred Canada’s co-operative sector to step up and respond to the needs of communities immediately. In many cases, co-ops responded sooner and more concretely than the federal, provincial and local governments as well as large corporations.
Co-operatives are already one step ahead.
By their very nature, co-operatives are already one step ahead of many other organizations for responding to crises. Firstly, because of the connected and action-oriented role, they play in communities. And, despite the difficulties, co-operatives are demonstrating their strength to reorganize, regroup and respond.
As the pandemic spread, Western Canada’s consumer co-operatives were among the first businesses to secure employees’ incomes. They were among the first to set aside shopping time for vulnerable groups. And as well among the first to contribute free goods and services to marginalized and at-risk people.
Alberta Co-ops Rise to the Challenge
Grocery co-ops innovated employee safety and salary top-up. Worker co-ops quickly shifted to producing medical products, and credit unions offered far-reaching grants to community groups, loan deferrals and even zero-interest credit cards.
By mid-March, Calgary Co-op, one of the first grocery stores to offer differentiated hours for seniors shopping, raised front-line team members' salaries by $2.50 an hour, retroactive to March 8. To compare, the federal government's Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy was announced on April 1 - retroactive to March 15.
During COVID-19, YYC Growers - a Calgary co-operative of 18 urban and small rural farms offered safe pickup throughout the city & home delivery options for weekly Harvest Box subscribers. They added new product weekly from more locally-grown sources and small businesses in Calgary. And… expanded their pop-up food markets as a way to provide more Calgarians with improved access to healthy food options.
Furthermore, the Family Multi-Purpose Co-operative, an innovative saving and lending co-operative located in Calgary knew some members would be impacted financially and may have difficulties making their monthly savings contributions. The co-op responded by following up with members who provided post-dated cheques for the monthly contribution to see if they wanted the cheques deposited or not and were more lenient regarding the monthly contribution requirements. Knowing the importance of having cash on hand, the co-operative also set up an emergency loan program of $500 for its members.
The co-operative way is a time-tested model.
Across Canada, co-operatives quickly responded because they knew what their members and communities need and want. Co-ops listened and responded. Caring for their community is integral to economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations. Rather than being a singled-out hero-of-the-day, the co-operative way is a time-tested model that serves and supports its people and community.