giving back 2% of each Tuesday’s total sales

From left, SLO Food Co-op Communications Coordinator **Britain Traub,** City Farm SLO’s Executive Director **Kayla Rutland** and SLO Food Co-op Grocery Lead **Joslyn Perez**. SLO’s only community-owned grocery store donated more than $2,500 to City Farm SLO thanks to its 2% Tuesdays Program July-August 2023.

We’ve donated over $60,000 to SLO nonprofits since 2020. Together, we’ll continue the mission into 2024 and beyond.

Designed to give back 2% of each Tuesday’s total sales to a worthy local nonprofit, the 2% Tuesday program began in July 2020. That initial effort supported the store’s first recipient, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO. From there, the program blossomed into a popular way for shoppers to give back to the local causes that matter most.

Other 2020 2% Tuesday recipients included Transitions-Mental Health Association and RISE Matters SLO, which helped us wrap up the 2020 year with a $1,944.60 donation. SLO Food Co-op General Manager Zack Sheppard highlighted the good cooperatives can do within the community as a whole.

“Co-ops strengthen the community. The success of our 2% Tuesdays program shows that our shoppers care not just about local food, but the overall well-being of our friends and neighbors. Together with our shoppers, we’ve helped folks grappling with housing insecurity, mental health issues, abuse and injustice,” Sheppard said. “Food co-ops, in particular, create incredible value for all, from coming together to support important shared issues to championing local farmers and growers to encouraging active, engaged ownership of a shared vision of a better future.”

In November and December 2020, the Co-op also raised more than $600 for People’s Self-Help Housing with a new “Giving Tree” effort. The community outreach program encouraged shoppers to donate a monetary amount of their choosing at check-out over the holiday season. Donation ornaments were displayed on the Co-op tree, spurring others to give, too.

“ Throughout the years the Co-op shoppers have continued to join together to support the local nonprofits, families in need and local businesses and it’s great that the store can provide a way for their grocery dollar to go further” said SLO Food Co-op Communications Coordinator Britain Traub.

“The positive responses we see for our 2% Tuesdays outreach provides a compass for the continual excitement we have in facilitating these programs for our shared communities. We are pleased to reinforce our vision of empowering health and well-being in our community through our current outreach opportunities, and looking forward to many more on the horizon.”

Learn more about our donations in 2020