Dear Seward Co-op Community,

We are in the midst of another week of grieving. Another week of exhaustion, anger, and fear. We grieve for Alex Pretti and Renée Good, and we grieve for all families who are impacted by the ongoing campaign of brutality in our communities.

What’s keeping us going right now is being part of a mycelium of community care and resistance in our neighborhoods. We are grateful to those delivering food, giving rides, standing watch with vests and whistles over children as they walk to and from school entrances… We are grateful to those standing vigil, observing, documenting, protesting, and intervening, all while knowing that these actions could be life-threatening. Many of you—many of us—are these people. We are holding gratitude for this community and are wishing for safety, fortitude, and change.

We’re writing to share more recent responses to the current situation in our communities. If you’d like, please review the procedures we’ve already initiated here.

Solidarity

SEED Community Support

• Immigrant Law Center (ILCM) has been our January SEED recipient. SEED funds will support free legal services, including deportation defense, legal help with work permits, green cards, and citizenship.
• February’s SEED round up was initially designated to supplement the co-op’s Needs-Based Discount program. With our cooperative principles in mind, Seward Co-op will instead allocate this month’s SEED funds to four grassroots community groups in the Bryant, Central, Powderhorn, and Phillips neighborhoods who are organizing to provide rent assistance to families affected by the current ICE deployments in Minneapolis.

Community Service Hours

Seward Co-op employee benefits include paying staff to volunteer in our community for up to 20 hours each year. Normally, staff members select a registered non-profit, school, farm, or cooperative, and submit a verification letter. However, in this moment of community need, we are making this benefit more flexible to allow our staff to use some of their hours for mutual aid work such as food deliveries, ride shares, community care coordination, or school safety patrols.

Call for “no work, no school, no shopping”

Because of the seriousness of this moment, we made the rare decision to close our stores on Fri., Jan. 23, as part of a local solidarity effort to demand that ICE leave Minnesota. All co-op employees scheduled to work that day were paid their usual wages.

There is a second walkout planned for Fri., Jan. 30, driven by national, rather than local, organizers. Seward Co-op plans to stay open along with other Twin Cities co-ops. Cooperative businesses provide goods and services in ways that keep resources within the community. We will remain open to ensure food access and to provide opportunities for those shopping local and supporting the many small-scale, immigrant-owned, and local businesses whose products we carry on our shelves.

Taking Care

We understand that many painful emotions are surfacing in different ways right now at an individual and community level, and we are working to support staff who keep our communities fed by:

• Refreshing and updating existing Quiet Rooms with extra amenities for those who need to take a moment for rest or reflection.
• Encouraging staff to contribute to the PTO donation pool so that those who may need extra time off may take it.
• Keeping staff updated about insurance-provided and public mental health resources.

While fear is a valid response to the very real threat of violence from ICE in our communities, please know that our co-op continues to be rooted in a long history of community care and collective action. We maintain our commitment to the safety and well-being of staff, owners, producers, and our broader community. Please be gentle with yourselves, each other, and community members. The grace, kindness, and care we extend to one another now can help sustain us long-term as we continue to weather these ongoing uncertain times.

In solidarity and cooperation,
Seward Co-op Leadership