Our core values

Our co-op’s core values were created in a 6-month process with our Core Values Working Group and Council, and adopted in June 2020.

This values statement is a living document - we pro-actively pursue accountability measures to make sure we are embodying these values at all stages of our development, and hold regular reviews to ensure these values reflect our community the best they can.

 

Openness & Equity

  • We celebrate differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity & expression, language, age, economic status, religion, sexual orientation, creed, ability status, and other social characteristics.

  • We commit to maintaining and institutionalizing leadership that is representative of the Kingston community, and especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous & people of color), the LGBTQI community and other under-represented people. We stand in solidarity with anti-racism and anti-oppression movements.

  • We encourage membership by removing economic barriers.

  • We improve access to healthy food in Kingston.  


    Social Responsibility &
    Transformation of our Local Food System

  • We advocate for improved food access within the contexts of affordability, quality, and choice in Kingston.

  • We serve as a community-building hub to grow our collective knowledge around food nutrition, cooperatives, and overcoming oppression in our food system.

  • We create avenues for local farmers and producers to feed the Kingston community.

  • We promote and prioritize buying relationships with local farms, BIPOC farmers, and socially and environmentally responsible businesses and distributors.

  • We work to have a positive ecological impact.  


    Accountability

  • We maintain open lines of communication between our cooperative’s Council, workers and member-owners.

  • We value the weight of every member-owner’s voice and contribution to the cooperative community.

  • We commit to challenging ourselves to improve in each of the above values.

  • We create opportunities for our co-op community to hold leadership accountable for adhering to these values.

Our mission

Through each individual’s participation in our community-owned grocery store, we build relationships around food toward the goal of a thriving and equitable local food system that reflects the people and abundance of Kingston.

Our vision

We envision a transformed Kingston food system that is upheld by a culture of collective ownership for intergenerational community wealth.