Food Co-Op
Neighborhood Networks are providing and keeping food on the table for local individuals and families while maintaining dignity and accountability. This is not your traditional food bank or food pantry where recipients come and receive food with no relationship, accountability, or investment. In our co-ops every recipient is not only a consumer but also a producer. This is an interactive exchange where those who come to receive are required to be invested. There is a minimal fee required for a membership to the co-op as well as certain jobs and responsibilities for all members. We operate from a belief that to do for others that they have the capacity to do for themselves is the opposite of empowerment. When people have zero investment in something there tends to be little to no value attached to what they are receiving. We believe that massive handouts without relationship and accountability have the potential to do more harm than good. In an effort to assist those in need we sometimes perpetuate the problems that actually exist. In all that we do at Living Hope we are working to address the underlying issues that are perpetuating the cycle of poverty in people lives. Neighborhood Networks are providing fresh produce, lean protein, and non-perishable goods to our neighbors responsibly while maintaining their dignity.