October 28, 2025
The Family Support Committee was voted into existence at the September 30, 2025 General Meeting and now seeks to assemble a dedicated team of diverse members. The goal of the Family Support Committee is to come up with ways to return the Coop to its former, more family-friendly model similar to when childcare was an option for shoppers and those doing their shifts. As a committee, over the course of one year, we plan to survey current members, analyze work slot patterns and collaborate with Coop leadership to introduce new policies that better support families.
We are eager to incorporate a broad range of voices and perspectives, with a particular emphasis on engaging parents, as this committee aims to address their unique needs as they navigate work and parenting.
When the Coop’s childcare program ended around the time of Covid, we first fought to bring it back, but due to many outside factors it became nearly impossible to make childcare a part of the Coop again.
Scheduling, managing and completing shifts is no doubt a challenge for any adult with a full-time job; but for working parents, especially those with children aged 0-12, it can be nearly impossible. As members of the Coop for over 17 years, Brian Russ and Lauren Belski, who proposed this committee, have seen the frustrations parents went through when the Coop ended its childcare program. We know many families who had no choice but to leave the Coop completely.
The Family Support Committee is seeking 4-8 new members and members will be awarded workslot credits for their work. Meetings will take place every six weeks and be conducted either online or in person when possible. Members will be allocated specific tasks, and will be required to conduct research or compile findings outside of meeting times.
In one year’s time we aim to report back to Coop leadership team with a solid four to five actionable changes in policy that will relieve the stresses of being a Coop member while also being a working parent.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Family Support Committee, please send an email to Lauren Belski (lauren.belski@gmail.com) and Brian Russ (bruss81@gmail.com). In your message, please explain your family situation, why you would be interested in joining this committee and a few ideas you may already have brewing.