By participating in the Food Co-op, members receive ⅓ to ½ of the food that their family needs for the month. However, the ultimate goal of the Co-op extends past the food that is distributed, and is focused on the community that is developed within the group. The members meet on a bi-weekly basis for a meeting before the food is distributed. The meeting is an opportunity for members to interact with each other and also to provide educational opportunities for the group.
Each member of the Food Co-op has a role to play. For example, some of the roles that the RIFA Food Co-op has are a food distribution coordinator, a person in charge of signing in members, and a treasurer. This gives each member a sense of purpose and ownership over the success of the group. It is a collaboration among the participants to make the group successful.
Participants pay a $5 membership fee to join the Co-op, and then they pay $4 at the meetings every other week. The money collected through the Co-op fees is not used to purchase the food. The funds go into an account that the members use at their discretion.
