we donated +$2,700 to local nonprofit One Cool Earth

SLO’s only community-owned grocery store donates $2,728.82 to One Cool Earth as part of their ongoing 2% Tuesdays program. These donations support One Cool Earth’s mission that empowers youth communities to integrate garden education, health and science.

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 month, resulting in one of the biggest totals yet. Shoppers are also able to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, which allows for the community to support the recipient directly.

This January and February 2022, SLO Food Co-op will raise and donate funds to Gala Pride & Diversity Center, a local nonprofit that advocates for the Central Coast's LGBTQ+ community and prioritizes the individuals of the Central Coast in their everyday lives.

“We have enjoyed collaborating with One Cool Earth over the last few years and were overjoyed when they were selected by our shoppers as the next 2% Tuesdays recipient,” said SLO Food Co-op Communications Coordinator Kasey Main. “By empowering students to take control of their futures through healthy food, we are confident that our community is in good hands.”

One Cool Earth thrives on community events and educational programs that support students in learning how to become involved, sustainable members of society. In 2021 alone, they partnered with 7 new schools and now serve 23 campuses in 6 school districts on the Central Coast.

“The SLO Food Coop has shown commitment to building community and impacting local youth by donating time and time again to support nutrition and environmental education,” said One Cool Earth Communications and Operations Manager Evie Kinkade. “We are so grateful that our students get to learn hands-on science outside every day thanks to One Cool Earth's amazing supporters!”

In addition to their outreach, One Cool Earth has created virtual cooking nights that have been a success with families and students alike.

"One of my favorite things that we do here at One Cool Earth is our Virtual Family Cooking Nights. We put together healthy ingredient kits that are sent home with students and used with their families to cook a new recipe under the guidance of their Garden Educator,” said One Cool Earth Program Director McKenna Lenhart. “It's so magical to see all the students in their own kitchens cooking with ingredients that they helped to grow in their own school garden! Thanks to the support of donors like the SLO Food Co-op, we are able to make these experiences possible."

Virtual event participants are able to cook healthy food from home with fresh, local ingredients, with some sourced from the co-op in the past.

“When our community succeeds, we succeed, and that’s what energizes us to continue our work with local nonprofits,” said SLO Food Co-op General Manager Zack Sheppard. “Our 2% Tuesdays program continues to invite our shoppers to participate in our donations to worthy causes, and our record turnout for One Cool Earth is a testament to how involved our community is.”

SLO Food Co-op is currently open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The team is happy to shop for customers who require a personal shopper during regular store hours.