by Nancy O’Connor, Executive Director, Community Mercantile Education Foundation
This year Community Mercantile Education Foundation (CMEF) celebrates its 20th anniversary as the non-profit sister organization of The Merc Co+op. Since its establishment in 1999, CMEF has focused its efforts on nourishing and inspiring personal well being through the creation of beautiful and productive gardens, developing youth leaders, and using food as a transformative path to health.
In 2010 CMEF established the Growing Food Growing Health garden at West Middle School. In 2018 we reached further into our community to develop the Growing Food Growing Hope garden at First Step at Lake View, a residential addiction treatment center for women.
As we have grown our gardens we have also grown our desire to feed people who might not otherwise have access to fresh, local produce. This year, the garden at West is donating its harvest to Just Food, and additionally helping supply garden veggies to the food pantry at neighboring Hillcrest Elementary. To date we have donated over 1,500 lbs of produce grown by our amazing student gardeners.
At First Step we harvest for the kitchen there, over 550 lbs to date; work in the garden once a week with women residents; and teach cooking classes twice a month focused on fresh vegetables. Equally important, the garden provides a quiet place of beauty to sit and for flowers to be harvested.
CMEF’s direction for the future is to grow more healing food for the people who need it most, and to continue to develop youth leaders dedicated to service.
Related to the future of CMEF, and on a personal note, my last day as Director of Education and Outreach at The Merc Co+op will be November 1. It was a difficult decision to make to leave this co-op which has been, and still is, such an important part of my life; but, I am pulled to the work of CMEF and the opportunity to serve and feed our community. I am grateful for the support that the co-op will continue to offer in order to do this work.
Keep up with CMEF online at www.growingfoodgrowinghealth.org and contact Nancy at nancy@growingfoodgrowinghealth.org.
Gratitude for Nancy
by Rita York Hennecke, General Manager, The Merc Co+op
Nancy O’Connor is a true visionary and passionate educator who has dedicated her life to helping people discover and enjoy healthy foods. With over 27 years of commitment to our co-op, she has had a lasting impact on our community that is both immeasurable and invaluable.
Nancy was recently awarded the 2019 Cooperative Innovation and Achievement Award, given to innovators who have changed the way that cooperative approach issues and opportunities. Nancy received the award in recognition of a variety of projects, including the West Middle School garden and the establishment of the Community Mercantile Education Foundation.
On behalf of the co-op, I want to thank Nancy for her service and leadership, and wish her a wonderful journey on her “second mountain.” Parting from her full-time position as the co-op’s Education and Outreach Director allows her to dedicate more of her abundant energy to the CMEF garden projects and teaching, and – of course – spending quality time with her loved ones. Join me in thanking Nancy for her years of dedication, and for making our co-op a community leader and change agent in our region.
This article was originally published in an October special edition of the Connections newsletter.