Your co-op, January 2002

Board approves new member benefits package

The last board meeting of 2001 was held November 27. Board members heard management’s recommendation for an improved member benefits package and gave the go-ahead to implement it in early spring.

They also authorized management to negotiate with one of the parties interested in the Ravenna site; an announcement will be made when negotiations are completed.

In October, the board held a retreat to learn more about the policy governance model they are using to structure their work. During that retreat, they drafted Ends policies — the policy governance equivalent of a mission statement — that are in accordance with policy governance language. The new Ends policies were ratified at the November board meeting. Board members also agreed to spend part of each board meeting working on this important task.

New charters were approved for two board task forces — the membership linkage task force and the development task force. The linkage task force will plan periodic membership meetings and explore new ways of engaging members to learn how the co-op can best serve their needs.

The development task force charter was expanded to include both board training and a review of existing policies through use of the information gained at the retreat.

A third task force, the nominating process task force, began to meet in December.

The next board meeting is scheduled for:

Tuesday, January 29, 2002, at 5 p.m.
at the PCC offices,
4201 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle,

… with time set aside at 7 p.m. for members to address the board. If you are interested in attending, please contact the board administrator at 206-547-1222.

Last call for board applications

Completed applications for board candidacy are due no later than Monday, January 14. For an application packet, please contact the Nominating Committee, c/o the board administrator at 206-547-1222 x126.

Bag reuse donation report

Every time we use one of our own full-size bags to carry our groceries home, one cent each is donated to the Farmland Fund and to Cash for the Hungry, PCC’s program with local food banks. This applies to paper, plastic and cloth bags, backpacks, wheeled carts, or any container that conserves resources.

The bag reuse donation has been in effect since November 2000, due to an overwhelmingly positive response to a month-long shopper survey. As of November 30, $8,183 has been raised in 2001 through bag reuse, $4,092 each to the Farmland Fund and Cash for the Hungry. Mention your wishes to the cashier to ensure your donation is counted. If you need a durable cotton canvas bag that’s good for continual reuse, purchase one printed with the PCC logo or the Farmland Fund tote.

PCC online with Healthnotes

PCC’s website now hosts the updated version of Healthnotes, the same great tool you’ve been using on computers in PCC’s health and beauty departments. Healthnotes, a Portland company that independently develops and distributes fully referenced, scientific and balanced information on complementary and alternative medicine, creates this online program. Gathered from scientific studies published in more than 500 peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals, Healthnotes lets you access valuable information on healthy living. Some of the topics you’ll find here include:

• Herbs
• Health concerns
• Vitamin and nutritional supplements
• Homeopathy
• Special diets
• Safety checker: drug-herb-vitamin interactions for the most prescribed prescription and over-the-counter drugs
• Articles on sports nutrition and weight management
• Healthnotes Newswire: a weekly news service on emerging research in complementary and alternative medicine.

Check it out by clicking the images above. From the home page, click on the Healtbnotes logo on the right side of the screen — and look up all the information you need for a healthier life!