Want stories like this one sent right to your inbox? Sign up to our newsletter here!
When was the last time you thought of your grocery store as a space for community connection? A place where you looked forward to stopping by, and you didn’t mind staying for awhile. As village markets turned into grocery stores, which turned into supermarkets, the grocery market has turned into a hassle. Especially during the pandemic, it has become a place to get in, and get back out as quickly as possible.
The founding of the Riverwest Cooperative and Cafe happened because a group of people wanted to rebuild that place of community connection. “I understood that the Co-op would be good for me, for my diet, but the reason I got involved was to build community in the Riverwest neighborhood,” said current Vice President of the Board and founding member Vince Bushell.
Starting in 2002, the organization began because founding members wanted to see more options to get organic foods. According to Bushell, at this time Outpost Co-Op was just starting out and and any other organic food stores in the area had previously closed. Using the strong sense of community and cooperation in the Riverwest neighborhood, Bushell, his partner Paula, and a handful of other community members bought the building on the corner of Clarke St. and Fratney St. and renovated it to meet grocery store codes and standards.
As the years went by, the Co-op added a cafe, meant for people to stop in to run errands, but then stay a little while longer, and enjoy some of the great foods sold in the store next to them. In many ways, the Co-op is a Milwaukee trend-setter, not just in the way of bringing local and organic food to Milwaukee’s citizens, their Cafe was also the first vegan-vegetarian-only cafe in the city– a trend that has now taken off in many neighborhoods in and around the area.
Why is this grocery store so important? At the Workbench, we believe wellness is defined as anything that betters yourself and betters your community. But these two statements are equally important to each other, and completely dependent on each other. You will not be able to feel well if your community suffers, and likewise, your community will miss out on your important voice and impact if you are not well yourself. Which is why the impact of having a close-knit community is so vital to your own health.
And the Riverwest Co-op provides this community impact. The people in Riverwest are able to gather here, ask for help here, purchase food that was made from here, and in return, they can work to better the organization through volunteering and becoming members. “There are those in a neighborhood that need the interaction of a corner store to walk to and get a coffee and a smile,” said Bushell. “If I were to sum the Co-Op up in one word it would be Caring, and if we can do that then we all will be healthy, strong and able to handle the down times that life throws at us.”
Of course as it can be imagined, the past year has severely hindered the concept of community. And with that comes the deterioration of these important community spaces. The only way to make sure they remain alive is to simply keep going. Keep ordering your cup of coffee in the morning and grabbing a slice of pie with a friend. Make sure you are conscious that the food you get supports local farmers and local businesses, and remember how closely connected you are to a community, often times without even realizing it.
