The Co-op Belongs to Everyone
Whoever you are, you are welcome here.
It is our responsibility to our diverse Owners, shoppers, staff, and community members to actively practice inclusivity. For us, that looks like ensuring our policies, staffing, management, communications, accessibility and attitudes are aligned and accommodating to everyone in our community.
Making the Co-op More Inclusive
While diversity is a measurable quality, inclusion is better understood as action. In 2021, we took steps to make the Co-op more inclusive and will continue to do so under the guidance of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce. Some of these measures include adding pronouns to staff name tags, recognizing that the Co-op occupies Indigenous land, and adding accessibility adjustments to our website. You can read more about these specific measures below.
Inclusive Trade
Our buyers actively seek out diverse brands to share with our community. We’ve compiled a list of those brands owned and operated by women, LGBTQ+ folks, and BIPOC folks (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). This list will be updated as new products hit our shelves.
Resources for Vulnerable Community Members
The Freedge
Take what you need, give what you don’t. The Freedge is a small refrigerator located on the west-facing side of the building to the left of our entrance and exit doors. Davis Food Co-op staff fill the Freedge daily with produce, dairy, bakery items, pantry and staples we are otherwise unable to sell. Anyone is welcome to take items from the Freedge at no cost.
Holiday Meal
This free and festive dinner for the entire community is a remarkable Davis tradition and has become an important part of the Holiday celebrations of local people from all walks of life. While the majority of this event will be coordinated and run by Davis Food Co-op employees, this event can only succeed because of the broad spectrum of people who support it.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Blog Posts
Why the Zero Waste Community Needs More Inclusivity
Why The Zero Waste Community Needs More Inclusivity By now, most of us have heard the term “zero waste”, which one of the simple ways to put it, means to send little to no items to landfill. Zero waste living is about consuming less, being more...
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month 2022
Celebrate AAPI Heritage May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander individuals and communities in the United States. Asian/Pacific is a broad term. It encompases people from the Asian continent and the Pacific...
Indigenous Food Sovereignty
One of the largest impacts of the Pandemic over the last two years was towards food security, a topic you may have become more familiar with as demand for food bank services reached an all time high. As a co-op and part of the community, many of us inherently...
Black History Month Reads for the Whole Family
Kid- and Family-Friendly Titles A Kids Book about Racism by Jelani Memory This book is a great starting point for families to talk about racism. It is intended to be read together for constructive conversion. This is not a picture book but is around a 1st or 2nd grade...
Homelessness in our Community
More people than we think are at risk of experiencing homelessness, especially in California and especially in the wake of the Pandemic. The main reason people become homeless is because they cannot find housing they can afford. Chronic health conditions, domestic violence, and systemic inequality are also factors that cause homelessness.
The Indigenous History of Davis
“Yolo” comes from the Patwin word Yo-loy meaning “place abounding in rushes,” a reminder of the reed-choked wetlands and marshes that once peppered this land. Recent heavy rains have indeed returned Northstar Park’s Julie Partansky Pond to a place abounding in rushes,...
Give Thanks and Give Back
The Holidays are a great time to reflect on what we have and help where we can. This month, the Davis Food Co-op will be donating $500 to each of the following local organizations and encourages you to give too if you are able. FIRE Foundation Founded in...
Honoring Veterans Day
Veterans Day should be more than just a day to honor and recognize those who have served in our military, it should be an opportunity for us as a society to collectively consider the ways in which we can improve the lives of these brave individuals. As a co-op,...
Mental Health & the Holidays
A 2014 National Alliance on Mental Health study found that, “64% of people with mental illness report holidays make their conditions worse”. Similarly, the American Psychological Association found that 38% of people experience increased stress levels during the...
Culturally and Environmentally Appropriate Halloween Costumes
A Quick Guide to Culturally and Environmentally Appropriate Halloween Costumes Environmental Implications Halloween activities are estimated to reach pre-pandemic levels this year. More and more people are buying candy in anticipation of handing it out, decorating the...