Day of Caring

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We are gathering essential goods for our community by participating in United Way of Clatsop County’s 2020 Day of Caring on Saturday, September 12th from 9am to 1pm. We will be asking shoppers to donate needed items including non-perishable food which we will bring to a collection site.

The local United Way is working hard to meet the needs of our community and due to the challenges of COVID-19, is coming together in support of United Way Partner Agencies and the people they serve with essential and emergency needs.

You can help by donating the following:

  • Food – Non perishable food items, breakfast, lunch, dinner and healthy snacks
  • Dental Care – Toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss
  • Personal Care Items – Soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper
  • Safety Items – PPE, face masks (medical of cloth) medical gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes
  • Kids Comfort – Blanket, plush toy, books and games (all items must be new)
  • Baby Care – Diapers, baby wipes, formula, baby food, baby clothes (must be new)
  • Pet Care – Pet food, treats and toys
  • Financial Stability – Gas cards, bus passes, grocery store gift card, pre-paid phone
  • Inspirational Cards – Handwritten words of encouragement for students and educators

There will be three official donation drop off locations: Columbia River Maritime Museum, Seaside Factory Outlet Mall and Astoria Ford. Volunteers will be on hand to collect items from your vehicle and give donation receipts. We will deliver all items donated by our shoppers to the Maritime Museum site.

You can also help by rounding up your purchase total to benefit United Way when shopping at the co-op in September. Learn more about our Change for Community program.

Visit www.clatsopunitedway.org for more information about the Day of Caring or to make a direct donation.

It pays to be a co-op owner!

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Temporary increase in owner benefits…

Co-op owners can save 10% on a shopping trip every month for the rest of the year starting in September! That is twice as many discounts as previously scheduled. We hope this temporary increase in owner benefits will help you, the co-op and local economy.

We realize times are tough financially for many people and hope more frequent discounts will make it easier to stock up on groceries. Having a whole month to use a discount should prevent the crowding that can occur with our current model of a tiered discount week once per quarter and help ensure enough space for safe physical distancing in the store.

An increase in owner discounts could result in an increase in co-op revenue. Your dollars will help offset costs associated with operating in a pandemic. Hopefully, this will also be a boon to our many local purveyors who have been impacted by the economic downturn.

How it Works

If you are a co-op owner who is up to date on equity payments, it is easy to use your monthly discount shop. In September, October, November and December, simply choose the shopping trip you would like to save on and let a cashier know at checkout that you would like to use your discount. If you are using our curbside pickup program, we can provide you with a discount code to use at checkout. Please contact [email protected] for more information. Owner discounts apply to items in stock at time of purchase and do not stack with case discounts.

The Future of Owner Benefits

Monthly discounts may not be financially sustainable for the co-op long-term, which is why we are calling this plan “temporary”.  Co-op management will reevaluate after December and could revert to quarterly owner appreciation weeks. The goal will be to balance a tangible owner benefit with the viability of our business. Please keep up to date with changes by reading co-op emails. As a co-op owner, your economic participation is truly needed now more than ever, and we hope you will shop at the co-op regularly in addition to your discount shopping trips. Thank you so much for your support!

Not a co-op owner? It is easy to join and if you do so now, you could save 10% off on a shopping trip every month for the rest of 2020! Click here for more information about co-op ownership.

Record Donation

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We raised a record amount—nearly $4K—in just a month for Consejo Hispano (formerly Lower Columbia Hispanic Council). Our cashier Mason who raised more than $600 himself presented our giant check to council reps. Big thanks to our generous community for rounding up!

“Community donations allow Consejo Hispano to respond to the diverse and sometimes emergency needs of the Latinx community that aren’t covered by our grant funding. For example, donations in March, April and May of this year allowed us to buy and distribute over 1000 fabric face masks, hand sanitizer and other basic needs that families and individuals didn’t have access to during the start of COVID-19,” Consejo Hispano Executive Director Jenny Pool Radway said.

Consejo Hispano’s mission is the equitable integration of resident Hispanics into the broader social and economic fabric of the Lower Columbia community.

In addition to monetary donations, there are other ways to get involved including volunteering. If you’re interested, click here to fill out an interest form. You can follow Consejo Hispano on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on events you can participate in.

Through our Change for Community program, we’ve raised $43,864.28 in cash donations for local non-profits. Learn more…

Takeout Expands

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If you need a break from cooking, made to order hot food is available for lunch and dinner. Our trusty kitchen crew recently reopened the service counter seven days a week from 11am–6pm.

Chef Andy Catalano says his “bowls of the world” menu includes fun, energetic flavors of Korean, Indian, Levantine, Mexican and South East Asian cuisine.

Everything is made in-house from scratch with 100% organic produce. Our cooks use the same high product standards as the rest of the store. You won’t find things like artificial sweeteners, trans-fats or growth hormones in any of our food.

Made-to-order meals at our service counter (formerly taqueria) were suspended in March; part of a myriad of changes in responses to the pandemic. Our deli focused efforts on grab n’ go sandwiches, salads and heat n’ eat entrees, which are available seven days a week.

Our indoor seating area remains closed; however, outdoor seating is available and there are a number of spots around town for a picnic including Mill Pond Park and the Astoria Riverwalk, just a short walk away.

Click here to see the menu.

Harbor Donation

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Thanks to our generous community, we donated a giant check to a local organization that helps survivors of domestic violence. This morning our general manager Matt Stanley presented Harbor Executive Director Terri Steenbergen with $3,476.53 (while maintaining a safe distance of six feet of course).  Our staff raised the money by asking shoppers to round up their purchase totals to the next dollar in June.

The Harbor is a local non-profit that provides advocacy, prevention and support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. This donation is especially timely as domestic violence calls have increased, but fortunately there’s been an outpouring of support locally since the pandemic began.

“I think it is really important for survivors, even from a non-monetary perspective, to see that there is support for them in the community. Knowing that you are not alone and that someone believes you is so important when you’re in an isolating, abusive relationship, and so to have that community support is critical,” Steenbergen said.

Donations assist the Harbor in getting survivors out of unsafe situations, providing shelter, food, transportation and anything else needed. The Harbor’s crisis line (503) 325-5735 is active 24/7.

This donation is part of Change for Community, a program by which the co-op has been able to raise nearly $40,000 to donate to local non-profits.

Round up for Hispanic Council

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The Lower Columbia Hispanic Council’s mission is the equitable integration of resident Hispanics into the broader social and economic fabric of the Lower Columbia community. The council is this month’s Change for Community recipient. Round up your purchase total or share your pocket change to support this local organization.

The council provides services and coordinates cultural events. Funds will go toward the council’s ongoing operations including but not limited to SNAP education and outreach, OHP enrollment, health education, census assistance, family engagement at schools, youth programs, civic engagement and advocacy.

Let’s raise funds for this awesome organization!

Click here to go to the Lower Columbia Hispanic Council’s web site.

Click here to learn more about our Change for Community program.

We’ll shop, you pick up

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Astoria Co+op is is offering curbside grocery pickup as a free community service during the pandemic to anyone who wants to shop from the comfort and safety of home. The service is available seven days a week with multiple options for pickup times throughout the day.

Some important tips:

  • Mercato, the platform we’re using, offers delivery in larger cities, but not in Astoria. Make sure you select the “I’ll pick it up” option, then you can choose a day/time that works for you.
  • Check the box “replace out of stock items” if you would like us to find comparable replacements on out of stock items. You can then choose whether you’d like to be contacted or not to verify whether the replacements are suitable.
  • Our store is located at 2350 Marine Drive in Astoria. We have dedicated curbside pickup parking spots near the entrance. Let the staff person stationed outside the store entrance know you’re here and we will bring your groceries out to your vehicle.
  • If you have any questions about online ordering, please call the store (503) 325-0027 or email [email protected].

Shop Mercato.com

If you need your groceries delivered, one option would be calling Downtown Taxi at (503) 791-6728 to arrange to have your order picked up at the co-op and delivered to your home. The company is charging a flat rate of $5 for delivery in Astoria-Warrenton.

Bakers Against Racism

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We’re participating in a nation-wide bake sale #BakersAgainstRacism to raise funds for organizations assisting black lives and combating racism. Buy one of our delicious strawberry-rhubarb pies and we’ll donate 100% of proceeds to Black United Fund of Oregon. We’re taking pre-orders now for pickup Saturday. Simply email our kitchen manager [email protected] to reserve your pie.

Our pies are made from scratch with organic rhubarb and local strawberries. Organic flour and butter make up the crust. These 9″ pies go for 12.99 each. Our bakers wanted to take part in this event to help spread some extra love to the black community. Thank you for considering participating!

Black Lives Matter

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Dear Community,

The Astoria Co+op management, staff, and board of directors feel sadness and pain regarding the tragic and inhumane death of George Floyd and the systemic racism that has led to many other inhumane Black deaths across the country.

As a small first step, our co-op has donated $500 to the Southern Poverty Law Center and $500 to the Equal Justice Initiative. Both organizations work to undo injustice and provide educational opportunities surrounding racial justice work.

National Co+op Grocers has spent considerable time and energy the last several years working on racial diversity, equity, and inclusion. I have been a part of this work as an NCG board member. Now, more than ever, is the time to take up this work in earnest at the local level.

For our co-op, it will start with education, making unconscious bias training part of our hiring, training, and board work. Improving diversity and inclusivity is not only the right thing to do, it will also strengthen our business and the positive impact we have on the community.

The world is in turmoil right now, but the viral, racism, and mental health pandemics are exposing many opportunities to make the world a better place. As our co-op navigates the daily challenges of operating a grocery store in this climate and continues to grow and mature as a business, we are committed to keeping the conversation going and working to find ways that a cooperative grocer can play its part in improving Black lives.

Sincerely,

Matt Stanley
Astoria Co+op General Manager

You can reach Matt at [email protected] or (503) 325-0027.