we donated $2,600+ to 40 Prado Homeless Services Center

SLO’s only community-owned grocery store recently helped bring food, shelter, employment and hope to 40Prado Homeless Services Center by donating $2,649.81 to the nonprofit during July and August 2021 with its 2% Tuesdays Program. Now, it will look toward helping create a brighert, clean energy future.

Designed to give back 2% of each Tuesday’s total sales to a worthy local nonprofit, the 2% Tuesdays program began in 2020 and has snowballed in popularity each and every month. Shoppers are also able to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar.

This September and October 2021, SLO Food Co-op will raise and donate funds to the SLO Climate Coalition, a local nonprofit that leads the way in building a clean energy future for the community.

“We are continually stunned by the amount of shoppers that show up in support of our ‘2% Tuesdays’ recipient each donation period,” said SLO Food Co-op Communications Coordinator Kasey Main.“40 Prado was such a worthy beneficiary, and we are matching that energy with The SLO Climate Coalition. It is our belief that we have to prioritize the health of people and the planet.And every month it shows that our shoppers agree.”

“We had just witnessed another blow to climate action, and in particular, community choice energy, a program that would have enabled local control of their community’s energy and economic future,” a SLO County Climate Coalition representative said.“Undaunted, we decided to double down and create SLO Clean Energy, an organization committed to creating a clean energy economy on the Central Coast. Over time, more people heard about the groups’ efforts and joined the cause.”

Since then, the Coalition has made strides in its goal of reducing carbon emissions, creating healthier homes, supporting electric transportation, championing open spaces and technologies that can store carbon, and educating the public on taking steps toward zero waste living.

“The Co-op's vision is for a healthy, sustainable community, and the SLO Climate Coalition is an ideal beneficiary of our 2% Tuesday program, as their great work aligns perfectly with that,” said SLO Food Co-op General Manager Zack Sheppard.“Together, we can make a difference, and we invite our shoppers to participate as well by 'rounding up' at the register; 100% of which goes to that month's beneficiary, on top of the Co-op's donation.”