---

BY ARIEL MARTINO

In print | May 1, 2008

A recent effort to get Swarthmore students involved with the Chester Co-op culminated on Saturday with the first shuttle run to the co-op. Professor of Religion Mark Wallace spearheaded the initiative to engage students in the developing business, working closely with members of his Environmental Studies Capstone Seminar this spring to generate interest in the community-based business model.

The Chester Co-op was started two years ago by Tina Johnson, a Chester resident, who saw the project as an opportunity to revitalize the city of Chester by providing resources – such as fresh, nutritious foods – that the community is sorely lacking. Wallace got the members of his seminar involved when they were studying permaculture, or sustainable, community-based agriculture.

“We decided the co-op was a strong permaculture case study of a neighborhood store that offers fresh, affordable produce to Chester residents and, possibly, Swatties as well,” Wallace said.

Students in Wallace’s seminar began their service to the Chester Co-op with projects aimed at optimizing the business’s Web site, identifying local food sources, writing grants and expanding the co-op’s membership. Midway through the semester, the class paid a visit to the co-op to develop a better understanding of the business and the context in which it operates.

Yusha Hu ’08 recalled weighing produce and conversing with co-op members. “Out of that visit came an idea that, because we enjoyed the experience of shopping and working at the co-op so much, other Swarthmore students would want to be involved too,” Hu said.

This past weekend, the Good Food Project sponsored a shuttle run to the co-op so that students could learn more about the opportunity for membership. Starting Fall 2008, there will be weekly shuttle runs from Parrish Circle to the co-op in downtown Chester, about a ten-minute drive away.

Student membership is $25 per semester and requires that the student commit to work 2.75 hours every four weeks. A membership is necessary to shop regularly at the co-op and will be available during both fall and spring semesters as well as in the summer. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to become members.

The co-op model is designed to be democratic, to promote joint ownership and to offer fair prices for food in Chester. Although nearly a third of the co-ops members are on welfare, most have invested in a $250 lifetime membership and have committed to the work requirement.

“Members join to become partial owners, get voting rights and become leaders in the co-op community – whether it’s to lead their work shift or run board meetings. The store becomes a gathering place for the community,” Hu said.

Andrew Quinton, another member of Wallace’s seminar added, “The member labor requirement reduces overhead costs, keeping prices down. In the past, affordable and high-quality food has not been available since there are no supermarkets in the city,” he said.

Quinton was also quick to point out the fact that the co-op is beginning to serve as a center for social networking, citing the fact that most of the members know each other. “The Chester Co-op ultimately wants to be a lynchpin that people can rally around as the city looks to revitalize itself,” Quinton said.

“I see the co-op as a good community partner with Swarthmore students. Tina and the other owner-members provide a positive and friendly environment in which students can shop and provide volunteer labor,” Wallace said.

The co-op owners hope to move to a more permanent location and expand the hours of operation, an effort that will require the recruitment of additional staff beyond the 200 volunteers already involved. Hu said, “Student membership directly helps them achieve that goal, and it also provides another connection between the borough of Swarthmore and the city of Chester.”

According to Quinton, the co-op is already developing deep roots in the community. “They’re working with a very experienced developer towards the goal of buying a larger, permanent home and have made strong connections with churches and other community organizations,” Quinton said.

While Swarthmore students may be content with the Swarthmore Co-op and Genaurdi’s, Hu cited several benefits available to patrons of the Chester Co-op.

Hu pointed out that the Chester Co-op “provides high-quality food, most of which is local and organic, at a fraction of the cost of the Swarthmore Co-op or Genaurdi’s.” “Beyond that, you’re participating in something that is more than just a good deal. The co-op is trying to build social capital in a place that is severely under-served, and it’s great to be a part of that,” she said.

Students may also see the work requirement as a downside, but Quinton said, “the work requirement is a commitment, but it’s also easy work in a friendly environment. It’s hard to beat getting quality food to people who need it and live just minutes away from you as a way to help out the world.”

The city of Chester has been the focus of many Swarthmore-based service projects, as it is an under-served and often ignored locus of poverty. Rather than allowing people, business and capital to leave Chester, the revitalization efforts focus on keeping resources in Chester and rebuilding the community.

The co-op has already established its place in the Chester community and has high hopes for shaping the city in the coming years.

“Chester has a lot of problems, and nobody’s expecting miracles, but getting high-quality and affordable food to anybody in the city who wants it would be huge and is well within reach,” Quinton said.

Disclosure Note: Yusha Hu ‘08 is a columnist for The Phoenix but had no involvement in the production of this article.

---

« RETURN TO NEWS

« PREV ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE »