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2011

Disaster Relief Donations

Hurricane María: From Friday, Oct. 6 through Sunday, Oct. 8, all SEED funds were donated towards relief efforts for victims of Hurricane María. Funds raised were directed to the Cooperativa Orgánica Madre Tierra, a cooperative comprised of 100+ farmers – owners of the cooperative – who lost everything.

Hurricane Harvey: From Friday, Sept. 8 through Sunday, Sept. 10, all SEED funds were donated towards relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Funds raised were directed to the Cooperative Development Foundation, whose focus is on long-term recovery work in the days and weeks ahead. Customers donated $3,521 and Seward Co-op contributed a $1,000 match.

Little Earth of United Tribes: Thank you to Seward Co-op owners and customers who donated to the emergency SEED round up over the weekend of Feb. 10–12. The round up to assist the victims of the recent Little Earth fire was a great success. Customers donated $3,559 and the co-op contributed an additional $1,000 for a total of $4,559.

Cedar Ave. Fire:Thanks to all who donated to the Brian Coyle Food Shelf to aid the victims of a New Year’s Day 2014 fire that destroyed an apartment building on Cedar Ave. in Minneapolis. Over the course of three days, 4,263 customers donated $2,432, with Seward Co-op contributing $1,000, for a total of $3,432. This will have a tremendous impact on those displaced and injured by the fire.

Typhoon Haiyan: Thank you to 4,467 customers – nearly 52% – who contributed $3,143 to to the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) over Nov. 15 – 17, 2013. Donations were directed to CDF’s Cooperative Emergency Fund to aid in the recovery efforts after Typhoon Haiyan (focused not on immediate humanitarian relief, but rather on longer-term economic recovery). Seward Co-op contributed an additional $1,000 to CDF for a total of $4,143.

Hurricane Sandy: Thank you to 10,872 customers – more than 50% – who contributed $3,012 to the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) over Nov. 1 – 4, 2012. Seward Co-op donated an additional $1,000 to CDF for a total of $4,012.

Famine relief in the Horn of Africa: The United Nations declared famine in Somalia in summer 2011. More than 160,000 people fled to Mogadishu for help, resulting in thousands of families in need. From Friday, Aug. 12 – Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011, co-op shoppers raised funds for these refugees, with donations directed to the American Refugee Committee (ARC). More than 6,500 customers donated $4,716, and Seward Co-op matched that amount for a total of $9,432.

North Minneapolis Tornado: From Friday, May 27, through Tuesday, May 31, 2011, Seward Co-op dedicated its SEED program to support recovery efforts in North Minneapolis. Co-op shoppers contributed $3,932.17 to our recipient, the Minnesota Helps – North Minneapolis Recovery Fund, which supports the immediate humanitarian needs of those impacted. Seward Co-op contributed an additional $1,000, for a total of $4,932.

Contributions to the fund will be pooled and then allocated jointly by the sponsoring organizations to nonprofits that are providing support to those most affected by this tragedy — both immediately and in the coming months. One hundred percent of all donations will be redistributed to provide financial support where they are urgently needed.

Storms in the South: Over the weekend of May 6-8, 2011, Seward Co-op shoppers donated generously to help the victims of the storms that struck the southern United States. We raised $1,011 in donations, which Seward Co- op will match. Contributions go to the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF). The CDF takes no administrative fee for funds raised to assure that 100 percent of the funds donated reach the people and organizations that need help. A prime point of contact for CDF in the South will be the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund which will help to identify the needs of farmers and farm cooperatives and help CDF coordinate this effort with the wider cooperative community in that area.

Japan Tsunami: Over the span of one weekend in March 2011, the co-op raised $3,064 for the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF), which will aid with reconstruction efforts in Japan following the tsunami. Seward Co-op contributed $3,064 in matching funds to the CDF, for a total of $6,128.
Update: CDF is working with the Japanese Consumers Cooperative (a national federation of consumer co-ops serving or representing more than 600 cooperatives with 23.5 million members) to determine the best use of these funds. Every dollar donated will go to Japanese Cooperative recovery needs.

2011 March Food Drive: Seward Co-op members helped us raise a total of $13,791 for Minnesota Food Share’s March food drive. The total includes a $1,436 contribution from the co-op. All donations will go directly to benefit the Brian Coyle Food Shelf.

Thank you, Seward Co-op owners and shoppers, for your generosity.