Newsletter: July 2024

The Mushroom Messenger KCG Monthly Newsletter: July 2024 Bringing you the monthly news of Kennett Community Grocer, a growing Food Co-op committed to local food, community, and culture. Hello to our Member-Owners and Friends!   In this edition: KCG Board taking big steps 400+ Member-Owners! Closing in on the Founding 500 Learn to Salsa at our July fundraiser event Discounts at 3 more local businesses with your membership card Special Feature: Plenty of Work Still to Come WHAT’S THE BOARD BEEN UP TO? June was a busy month for Kennett Community Grocer. On June 3, the Kennett Borough Council met and approved our Letter of Intent to move forward with consideration of a lease for our Co-op on the first floor of the main building at 600 S. Broad. Discussions are ongoing, and we hope to have good news to all of you soon. In the meantime, we are doing planning, planning and more planning! The outline of how we move forward will be the special feature this month. Our July Board meeting will be an Executive session and not open to the public due to the nature of our financial propriety information being discussed. If you as a member-owner wish to join in, please let us know by sending an email to info@kennettcommunitygrocer.coop. Member-Owners mingled and sipped at last month's Happy Hour at Braeloch Brewing Co. Many thanks to our Events Team for another successful KCG gathering! MEMBERSHIP EVER-GROWING We are currently at a Member-Owner count of 405!!! A record 33 new members joined KCG since the publication of our last newsletter. There is no doubt that this tremendous response comes on the heels of the news that we have a possible physical site for the store. We are hoping to hit the mark of 500 Member-Owners by December, and then continue to grow membership during the renovation phase of the building – this is critical for the financial success of a food co-op.   Stephanie Sauer, Member-Owner #400 and winner of the gift card raffle from our Braeloch Happy Hour event.   Special note: There will be a celebration of the Founding 500 Member-Owners built into the store when it opens – a plaque, a mural, a walkway... exact format TBD. If you are considering membership, you have a limited time left to be included in this recognition. Join now to be recognized as someone who helped make this dream a reality!   BECOME A MEMBER-OWNER TODAY UPCOMING EVENTS We hope you will all come out to support us at the amazing fundraisers coming up. Be sure to bring some friends who are not Member-Owners (yet)! Saturday, July 20, 7:00-10:00 PM: Salsa Night Fundraiser at Calabrese Arts (660 E Cypress St, Kennett Square, PA). Put on your dancing shoes and join us in raising funds to finance the store while learning to dance – no partner needed! Harvest Ridge will be present selling wine and cider. Get your tickets now for this limited space event! Half of the proceeds go towards financing the store. Saturday, August 17, 5-7 PM: Taste the Cheese and Meet the Sheep Fundraiser at Locust Hollow Sheep Farm (330 Country Club Rd, Coatesville, PA). Sit on the farm and watch the sheep while you enjoy a cheeseboard they helped make! This will be a paid, limited space event – details to follow, but you can save the date on your Google Calendar now. Tables at Local Events KCG will be in Pavilion 1 at Anson B. Nixon Park during the Wednesday "Sounds of Summer" free concert series on July 10 and August 7 (6:30-8:30 PM). Learn about KCG while enjoying an evening in park listening to music and enjoying some local food and drink. MEMBER BENEFIT PROGRAM Three new vendors signed up last month to offer discounts to KCG Member-Owners through our Member Benefit Program! There are now 17 local farms, businesses, and vendors participating, so make sure you keep your membership card handy!

SPECIAL FEATURE:  Plenty of Work Still to Come Quick updating on plans to finance the store: It should come as no surprise that the first thing required for a major renovation of a space is MONEY! With guidance from the Food Cooperative Initiative, we will use multiple financing solutions, including member-equity (the fee you paid at signup), member loans and Preferred Shares offerings, bank loans, community loans, grants, and direct donations from the public and Member-Owners. Any support you are able to provide will go a long way! Quick updating on the site selection process: Elected by you and acting on your behalf, the Board of Directors will carefully choose the best location and site plans for a successful food cooperative in our trade area. Most of our membership resides in the 19348 or Kennett area and many live in the Borough itself. Hopefully, the store will be walkable for those near by. For others, we want ample parking right near the door to the store. We must have a location that is easily accessible by car from our surrounding suburban neighborhoods. Just as important, the store must offer ample delivery space for our vendors and farmers for delivery. And we want to have a community-oriented and trustworthy future landlord. We are excited to share more news with you as soon as we can. But for now, we still have a way to go. And we hope you'll join us for the journey! DONATE NOW TO BUILD A BETTER GROCER Clarence the Carrot made an appearance at the Kennett Library in June. Participating children learned how to use all of their senses to savor fruits and veggies, as well as how to name their senses and snacks in both English and Spanish – earning them a "Taste Champions" medal!

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