A Message from the Old Creamery Co-op Board of Directors
Cooperatively Owned, Everyone Welcome!

September 5, 2019

Dear Fellow Co-op Member:

As many of you know, the Creamery has faced significant financial difficulties since its inception as a cooperative, including chronic operating losses and a heavy debt load. In recent months, those problems have become more urgent. If the Creamery is to continue operations, it will require a significant reinvestment of time, energy and funds from our community, in both the near and long term.

We do not want to give the impression that the Creamery’s situation is hopeless. In fact, there have been a number of positive developments in recent days. A small group of member-owners has generously come forward to pledge a significant sum towards the Creamery’s most pressing financial obligations. We have brought in three new directors to fill vacancies, and we feel that we now have a good balance of financial as well as community organizing experience among our board members.

Most auspiciously, a group of nearly 50 member-owners came together last Monday night to learn more about the current situation, and offer their thoughts and ideas, one of which is already making a difference (see the postscript below). The thoughtfulness and dedication that participants brought to the meeting made it clear that the spirit which brought us together to form the Old Creamery Cooperative nearly a decade ago is still alive and well.

We believe that re-engagement on the part of our member-owners is essential to the
Creamery’s path toward viability. While we are taking immediate action to keep the store running in the short term, and carefully investigating our long-term options, we have not yet committed to any single plan for the future. We are committed to going through that decision making process together with you. As a result, you may expect an increase in communications from us, in the form of both emails and open meetings.

In that spirit, we will be holding another informal meeting of member-owners next Tuesday, September 10th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the West Cummington Parish House , 27 West Main Street, Cummington, to update you on recent developments and answer your questions. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to email us at board@oldcreamery.coop.

In cooperation,
The Board of Directors

P.S. Here is one thing you can do to help the Creamery next time you are in the store: put money on your member account at the cash register to fund future purchases; it’s easy to do, and essentially gives the Creamery a short term line of credit, something that is needed right now. You can also buy Creamery gift cards for members and non-members. Cashiers report over seven thousand dollars in these prepayments just in the short time since last Monday’s meeting.

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Old Creamery Co-op | Cummington, MA | 413-634-5560 | www.oldcreamery.coop