How Our Co-ops Work 

Eligibility:

• Live in 35212
• Be able to attend meetings twice monthly where food is unpacked and sorted based on family size
• Qualify for SNAP or SSI (The Community Food Bank of Central AL, one of our resources for sourcing bulk food, requires members to qualify in this way.)

Members meet twice monthly and collaboratively work to sort and pack food Woodlawn Community Table purchases from the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. During our monthly meeting, each member has a job. Some jobs include: leading the meetings, deciding the quantity of each product based on household size, unloading food from delivery vehicles, sorting the bulk food, or serving as our hospitality team (making coffee, greeting members, etc.) Because families come in a variety of sizes and thus, a variety of needs, we pack food into boxes that suit three different family sizes: small (1-3 in household), medium (3-5 in household), and large (6+ in household). We estimate that each household receives one-third of their annual groceries from the food cooperative.

Each meeting ends with a time for feedback on workflow and product quality, sharing of resources and concerns, singing, reflection, and giving thanks for the provisions.