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OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume JJ, Number 18 September 3, 2015 Welcome to the Office! By Lily Rothman an upbeat, “Hello, Park Slope the office can’t make individual hen Coop members enter Food Coop.” exceptions to Coop-wide poli- Wthe PSFC office, though “Everyone’s really nice in cies, often the office can help. their reasons to visit may dif- the office. That’s the best thing For example, that common fer, one particular sentiment about this shift,” says Diana problems—absences and is often on their minds: I’m in Griffin, who was marking her suspensions—have plenty of trouble. Or at least, according two-year anniversary on the solutions. The office can con- to General Coordinator Jess office squad that day. “Most of nect members with their squad Robinson, who supervises the the time we can help people.” leaders (whose phone numbers staffers who work in the office, The most common reason are available in the office). The that’s the sense those on the people call, observes member office can enroll members in other side of the desk have. Debra Lowe, who has done the one-for-one program (an Many members approach the office shifts for about five years, option for people who owe second-floor sanctum as if they is to find out whether they’re makeups for more than six had been summoned to the eligible to shop. And, as Grif- work cycles in a row). The office ILLUSTRATION BY CATY BARTHOLOMEW principal’s office. fin says, despite the fact that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 But, office workers agree, Coop Manners: Members Dish on those who shuffle up the stairs with fear in their hearts How to Have the Best Shopping shouldn’t stress out. Those who staff the office rank among Experience, Avoid Stress and the most helpful of the Coop’s labor-rich mix. Be Happy at 782 Union “The office has really strug- By Jaweed Kaleem A Coop State of Mind gled over the time I’ve been here efore entering the Coop With more than 16,000 with a reputation as being a Bdoors each time she goes active members and 6,000 place where you go to get scold- shopping, D. Stephenson square feet of sales floor for ed,” says Robinson. “The office takes a deep breath and, in thousands of products, the is there to serve [members]. It her mind, declares an inten- Coop is known for being a shouldn’t be scary.” tion: she’ll have at least one busy, hectic place, especially good conversation while there during peak shopping hours Upstairs at the Coop and, overall, strive to have a and times when shifts transi- On a Saturday afternoon good time. tion. For many members like this summer, that anything- “It’s a busy, sometimes frus- Stephenson, shopping and but-scary vibe was in full effect. trating and aggravating place,” working means much more As is the case for the rest of the said Stephenson, who works than just showing up to make Coop, the summer is a slight- on the receiving squad. “So you purchases like one would at ly slower period for the office have to try hard to make sure a typical grocery store or any but, while cooler and quieter you get the best of out of it.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 than the shopping floor, it still buzzed with friendly chatter. Next General Meeting on September 29 Shoppers filtered in and out The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held with a variety of questions both on the last Tuesday of each month. The September General common (Is there a slot open Meeting will be on Tuesday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m. at to do an FTOP shift tomor- St. Francis Xavier School, 763 President St., between row?) and uncommon (Who do Sixth and Seventh Aves. I talk to about a problem with The agenda is in this Gazette, on the Coop website at the flower bed on the street www.foodcoop.com and available as a flier in the entryway outside?), and member-work- of the Coop. For more information about the GM and about ers answered the phones with PHOTO BY CAROLINE MARDOK Coop governance, please see the center of this issue. Tue, Sep 8 • Safe Food Committee Film Night: IN THIS ISSUE Seeds of Time 7:00 p.m. Puzzle .............................................. 3 Safe Food Committee Report ........................... 5 Fri, Sep 11 • Wordsprouts: Coop Animal Welfare Committee Report .......................5 A Night of Memoir 7:00 p.m. Welcome ............................................7 Event Coop Calendar, Governance Information, Mission Statement .. 7 Thur, Oct 1 • Food Class: Calendar of Events ....................................8 Highlights A Day In The Plant-Based Life 7:00 p.m. Letters to the Editor .................................10 Classifieds .........................................11 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Exciting Workslot Opportunities .......................12 Thank You ..........................................12 2 September 3, 2015 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY Welcome to asking for help and don’t know what to expect. For those CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 members, she notes that it can can counsel members on leave sometimes be comforting to options for those unable to check the Coop’s membership work for one reason or another. manual—available on paper No matter what the appropriate at the office or on the Coop’s option for the situation in ques- website as a PDF—to do a little tion, the best way to move for- advance research about options ward is to talk with the experts for catching up, so that they can at the office. After all, the office go into a conversation knowing PHOTOS BY CAROLINE MARDOK workers want to get members what to expect. (And when the Membership Coordinator Karen Mancuso helps a Coop member in the office, while back to shopping, too. Coop’s new website is up and Lewanika Forde-Senghor mans the greeter desk. “I think people are reluc- running, it’s expected to be even tant to call—usually they know more helpful in that regard.) calls go out to remind mem- something’s up and that’s why Questions about the ber-workers with upcoming they’re calling,” says Member- work-cycle calendar and the shifts about events like Day- ship Coordinator Jack Stro- next time a shift will meet can light Savings Time. The office man, who was working as one also be answered at the front walls are plastered with helpful of the staffers in the office that check-in desk, since that com- information: General Meeting Saturday. “Everyone’s situation puter displays information dates, Gazette ad deadlines, is different, so advice you get about a member’s upcoming staff mailboxes, fact sheets for from other members [about shifts when he or she enters the all kinds of programs, FTOP how to get current on shifts] shopping floor. shift-opening information and is well-meaning but may not a calendar that shows which be right. It’s better to go to the Members Helping week of the work cycle we’re in. source at the office before you Members As a result, it might be easy get frustrated.” Helping members who are to get overwhelmed, especially People who have never behind on their work duties is during busier times. So, Jess before fallen behind are some- far from the only thing office Robinson offers a few helpful times particularly reluctant to workers do. The office is where hints to make your office visit come to the office, Robinson new members join, where shifts efficient and productive: adds, since they’re not used are selected and even where “Hello, Park Slope Food Coop.” Though many people have a habit of stopping at the sec- ond-floor service desk, right outside the office door, she notes that members who come upstairs to the office can go right in if they have a membership-re- lated question. The first person Membership Coordinators Jack Stroman and Valerie who will greet you at the front Ratron-Neal, hard at work in the office. desk is a paid staffer, who’ll then direct your question to some- on the shopping floor. They approach the office without one who can help. The people can’t intervene between a squad fear are likely to leave happy. sitting by the computers on your leader and a member on the “There may be a solution to right will be member-workers question of how many make- your problem,” says Robinson. and the people sitting behind ups are owed. They can’t give “It’s always worth asking.” the desk on the left are staff. out the personal information And, in turn, just as the (Those staffers, whose job title for any other members, other office is there to help members, is Membership Coordinator, than squad leaders. And, for there’s one thing that members often split their time between FTOP workers, though the office can do to help the office: keep the office and other duties like workers can schedule shifts and in mind that the folks answering tech support or back-office cancel them up to a half hour in the phones are also members. administrative work.) Usually advance, that system works only “It’s a cooperative effort,” Robin- a member will be able to help when the office is open; FTOP- son says, “like everything else.” you, but you may be directed to ers who want to cancel when the “When people call, it’s best a staffer if your question is par- office is closed are out of luck.

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