Welcome to the Greene Hill Food Co-op. This is an exciting opportunity for our Brooklyn neighborhoods (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Wallabout, Bed-Stuy, and beyond) to come together to form a member-owned, member-run grocery store that offers high-quality food at affordable prices. Your membership will strengthen the Co-op and give you a voice in its operation.

Membership is open to all adults over 18 years old and comes with a few important responsibilities:

1. Completion of the Member Application
2. Payment of a refundable membership investment and a smaller non-refundable administrative fee (details follow)
3. Attendance at a membership orientation meeting prior to opening; and
4. Commitment to working a regular work shift in the store.

Investments/Fees:

To help cover the costs of opening and running the Co-op, each member pays a small administrative fee, and a larger membership investment. Every adult who shares in your household’s food must pay the administrative fee and the membership investment.* After the co-op opens, you will be able to buy food at significantly lower prices and the savings will quickly compensate for your investment.

The administrative fee, which is nonrefundable, is $25. The administrative fee covers day-to-day costs like printing flyers, bank fees, and hosting our website. The membership investment, which is refundable, is $150. The membership investment contributes to the costs of leasing, fitting out, and stocking a small grocery store space in the Fort Greene/ Clinton Hill community. Membership investments and administrative fees are not tax deductible. The Co-op is incorporated as a not-for-profit membership cooperative under the laws of New York State.

Workshifts:

Member labor is what makes our lower prices possible. Members can be involved in a range of responsibilities, from stocking shelves to website maintenance to record-keeping to being cashiers. The exact length of a work shift will be set based on the number of Co-op members and the size of the shopping floor, but we expect it will be around 2 hours every 4 weeks.*

You can start contributing hours right away by working on one of our committees. Committee work counts toward your member labor requirements for the future, or if you like you can count them toward your Park Slope Food Co-op labor requirements. See our committees list here.

* If you are unable to work due to disability or other unusual circumstances, or if you do not qualify for the Apple plan but feel you cannot afford the Carrot plan, please email or call us. We will try to work out a membership plan specific to your needs.

Membership Options:

Each adult member of your household must fulfill all membership requirements. This policy is crucial to raising sufficient capital for opening and running the Co-op. It also creates a community in which all adults who benefit from the Co-op contribute to its growth. Please note that, for these and additional legal reasons, you may not shop for a business or restaurant at the Co-op. The Co-op reserves the right to follow up if the quantity of purchases does not appear to match the number of people in the household over a significant period of time.*

We have worked hard to create 4 membership plans to suit people with different needs. Find the plan that works for you below.

Avocado Plan

Pay the $25 administrative fee and the full membership investment of $150 at one time plus an additional donation so we can open the store sooner and accommodate individuals of lower incomes. Sign up for the Avocado Plan.

Lettuce Plan

Pay the $25 administrative fee and the full membership investment of $150 at one time. Sign up for the Lettuce Plan.

Carrot Plan

Pay the $25 administrative fee now. Pay the remaining $150 in installments over the next six months. Sign up for the Carrot Plan.

Apple Plan

For members with limited incomes. Pay a reduced administrative fee of $5 now. Commit to paying the $150 membership investment in small installments over 5 years. To qualify for this membership plan, you must show proof of current participation in a public assistance program such as:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Medicaid
• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)
• Family Health Plus/ Child Health Plus
• Section 8 housing subsidy
• Advantage Program (Fixed Income, Worker or Children’s Advantage) issued by Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) or Human Resources Administration (HRA) or Department of Homeless Services (DHS)
• SNAP/Food stamps
• The Co-op will consider, on a case-by-case basis, requests for the Apple Plan based on other types of financial hardship. Please call or email if you have such a hardship.

The information you provide on the application and in other communications about your membership will be kept strictly confidential. From time to time, we will publish lists of our current members’ names; please indicate on the application if you are willing to be included on such lists. After you join you will also receive a confirmation email from the Co-op. All members will be added to our email list. You will receive approximately two emails per month. If you do not have email, we will let you know how to get updates. If you have any questions, please contact us at (718) 208-4778 or at info@greenehillfood.coop

Sincerely,

The Membership Committee
Greene Hill Food Cooperative
18 Putnam Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(718) 208-4778
info@greenehillfood.coop
GreeneHillFood.Coop