Greetings from the aisles of HPC

—by Matt Hass, General Manager

Signs for our future

As you come to the co-op, you have probably noticed that the exterior of the building has a new look. There is a new tile mosaic on the north side of the building that was crafted by co-op member Susan Warner. Reading "Your Neighborhood Co-op" and blended with a wonderful array of images, the mosaic reminds me what of I value about our little neighborhood co-op.

A store that has a tiny market feel, there is no doubt that you will run into a neighbor and also make a new acquaintance. We are owned by members who contribute to the day-to-day running of the store and can also participate in its planning and vision. We are a small business that supports other businesses, organizations, and producers of local goods. We are rooted in our community.

Now that we own the building that we have occupied for over 30 years, how do we move forward as stewards of our building and adapt it to meet the needs of our organization and our community?

The Building Task Force has been meeting to create a master plan for our building and to address this question. On October 17 we will have our annual meeting at St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church, where we will have our annual report, election of board of directors, and also see a vision for what the final building master plan will look like. The task force has been talking about creating rental space in the building, solar panels on a green roof, a community meeting room, an employee break room, and whatever else can be dreamt up. We hope you can take the time to let us know what you think.

Above the "Your Neighborhood Co-op" mosaic there is a freshly painted rendering of our new logo. You will now see the new logo painted across the front of the building and also as you come into the parking lot. Local sign painter Phil Vandervaart (whose work you can also see down the street at Keys Cafè) updated our signs last month, and I think it brings a fresh look to the building. We thank Phil for his excellent work!

Metro Independent Business Alliance

I am pleased to let you know that Hampden Park Co-op has become a member of the Metro Independent Business Alliance. Membership will allow us to better network with other small businesses and be promoted alongside other local businesses.

Thank you

I'd like to thank employee Ayla Graden for her excellent work while at HPC. Ayla will be moving on to attend school to become a midwife.