Happy June! You likely know that Hunger Mountain Cooperative exists to create and sustain a vibrant community of healthy individuals, sustainable local food systems, and thriving cooperative commerce. In addition to our mission statement, we are also guided by our council’s resolution adopted in late 2020 that speaks to our justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) values:

Hunger Mountain Co-op wants everyone to feel welcome, and we strive to be an inclusive and anti-racist community. We respect differences, honor each person, value unique stories, and seek to learn from each other. We succeed when you feel this is your Co-op.

Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Pride Month is about uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture, and the support of LGBTQ+ rights. This month, we have partnered with Outright Vermont as our Give Change recipient. Their mission is to build a Vermont where all LGBTQ+ youth have hope, equity, and power. Co-op shoppers can support this effort by rounding up their total to the next dollar or by making a donation at the register. Additionally, for every rainbow Hunger Mountain Co-op reusable shopping bag sold, we will donate $1 to Outright Vermont.

For ways to learn more and celebrate Pride Month, check out the Pride Center of Vermont’s calendar of events.

June 19 is Juneteenth—the day on which, in 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. Texas was the last Confederate state to have President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation announced. In 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas through the efforts of Al Edwards, a civil rights activist and former Houston legislator. Several other states subsequently followed suit, including Vermont in 2008. Last year, President Biden signed a bill to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Read more about the history of Juneteenth, and see a list of Vermont-based celebrations.

As our co-op community celebrates 50 years of cooperation, I encourage us to continue to be curious, and remember that we all have a story to share and something to learn from one another.

See you in the aisles,

Kari Bradley (he/him)
General Manager
karib@hungermountain.coop
(802) 262-3219