Community Spotlight: Renaissance Community Co-Op

I've said this before, but one of my favorite parts of being a business owner is the opportunity to be involved in the community. With that in mind, I want to occasionally take some time on the blog to highlight great things going on in Greensboro.

The Renaissance Community Co-Op is a response to a need: residents in Northeast Greensboro needed access to fresh, locally sourced food. No one was stepping up to fill that need -- so the community took it upon themselves to solve the problem. 

Here's some history of the co-op, via their website (emphasis mine): 

In 1998, the Winn-Dixie grocery store on Phillips Avenue in Northeast Greensboro closed, despite being profitable. ... Since that time, the community surrounding the Bessemer Center remained without a full service grocery store capable of meeting its needs. At the request of the community, the City of Greensboro tried its best to attract a full service grocery to the location, but without any luck.

After nearly 15 years of searching for a grocery store to locate in Northeast Greensboro, community residents took action themselves.

And here's the RCC's mission statement: 

To create a democratically owned and controlled grocery store in Northeast Greensboro that provides all of Greensboro with healthy foods at affordable prices and has a commitment to locally sourced foods, community education and dignified jobs.

RCC gives supporters the opportunity to become owners -- able to vote and participate in the decision-making process -- for $100. I just became an owner this week and I'm proud to be a part of this effort to make a better Greensboro.

If you're interested, you can find more information here, volunteer, donate, or become an owner.

I'd love to know about the great things going on in your community, too! Tell me a story about a project improving the place where you live in the comments below.