March is always a busy time at the Co-op! We celebrate our birthday (48 this year!!) and hold our Board elections meeting -- the most important meeting of the year. It’s a time for us to celebrate our member-owners and also welcome new folks! So what’s going on at Mariposa in March 2019?

To start, we are having a new member drive all month! It’s a great time for folks to join the Co-op! We’ll be giving out goodie bags filled with some of our favorite products (Dr. Bronners, Nature’s Path, Equal Exchange, and more!) to the first 25 people who join. And for those who join after that, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win some awesome gift baskets. Current member-owners: When you refer your friends, get $5 of credit on your account!

And if you need even MORE of a reason to join, Owner Discount Days is coming up from Monday, March 4th - Friday, March 8th! All member-owners receive 10% off their purchases plus an additional 10% off special orders placed that week.

*Jamila Medley - Executive Director of PACA*

But, most importantly, member-owners will have the chance to vote on the 2019-2020 Board of Delegates. Though we love to promote some of our in-store perks like special order discounts and Owner Deals, being part of Mariposa’s democratic process is what sets us apart from traditional grocery stores and brings us closer to our community.

At our elections meeting on Sunday, March 17th 12pm-2pm at Cedar Works (4919 Pentridge St.), get to know the passionate staff and member-owners who want to represent you! We’ll have Jamila Medley from Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA) in attendance to talk about their work in supporting the co-op community, and lunch will be provided by Atiya Ola’s Spirit First Foods. Plus, we’ll provide a whole bunch of samples from some Co-op favorites like Valley Milk House and Calkins Creamery. Voting will open after the meeting online and in-store and will run from March 17th - March 31st.

But that’s not all! Here are some of the other great things happening this month:

Monday, March 4th - Mariposa Board meeting. All member-owners are welcome to attend. 6:30pm-9:00pm at Cedar Works (4919 Pentridge St).
Tuesday, March 12th - Mariposa orientation. All member-owners, new and current are welcome to join. Not a member-owner yet? That’s ok, too! Come on in and learn about co-op history, member-owner benefits, and more. Snacks are provided and first-time attendees will receive a 10% working discount for a month. 6pm-7:30pm at Cedar Works.
Wednesday, March 20th - Eating Right When Your Budget’s Tight with Cooking Alchemy. Make your dollar stretch at our free cooking workshop where you’ll learn how to shop using our affordable Co-op Basics list and receive hands-on training on how to prepare a nutritious meal for yourself or your family. Workshop includes demonstration & meal tasting! Optional store tour to follow. 6pm-8pm at Cedar Works.
All month - The Round-up for Change recipient in March is OneArt Community Center, an art center & urban farm in West Philly. Round-up your shopping bill to the nearest dollar and the change will be donated!