October is Co-op Month

We usually acknowledge Co-op Month with an upbeat article about co-ops. In the wake of the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina, we decided instead to highlight the effort Cooperative Development Foundation is leading. CDF is collecting funds to go directly into rebuilding cooperatives so that devastated areas can rebuild their economic infrastructure. The Federation of Southern Cooperatives is an outstanding network that has been organizing poor rural southerners for decades. All funds will be directed to the Federation (See the article below).

The Wedge will be collecting donations for the CDF fund at any register-- just tell the cashier how much you wish to donate and it will be added to your bill and show up on your receipt as a donation. The Wedge will match donations up to $2,500.

(Cash and coin dropped in the plastic containers at the registers will be directed to the local food shelves.)

The Katrina Cooperative Recovery Fund

For the Benefit of the Cooperative Community of Alabama, Louisiana & Mississippi

The death and destruction that occur red is beyond belief. We applaud the work that is being done by disaster relief agencies to meet the immediate needs of those who survived and we encourage your support for those relief efforts.

But what about the people and cooperatives in the rural areas and their recovery needs? What happens when the cameras are turned off and we move on to another major story? The recovery will take years and cooperatives can--and will -- play a significant role in the recovery from this disaster. When the relief efforts have enough traction for basic economic functions to be re-established, work must begin to help members of cooperatives rebuild their lives and their cooperatives in the three-state area. Cooperatives are an important building block in the social and economic recovery. They provide infrastructure, access to credit and access to markets, all of which will be critical as the rural economies of these three states move from their dependence on the initial relief efforts in the aftermath of this disaster to long-term sustainable recovery.

CDF will partner on this fund drive with its colleagues in the cooperative community, both nationally and in the region to assure the maximum possible impact. CDF will take no administrative fee for funds raised to assure that 100% of the funds donated reach the people and organizations who need help. A prime point of contact for CDF in the affected area will be the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund which will help to identify the needs of farmers and farm cooperatives and help CDF coordinate this effort with the wider cooperative community in the affected area.

Printed with the blessings of the Cooperative Development Foundation