NCBA - National Cooperative Business Association
01/08/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/08/2025 06:56
National Co+op Grocers and CDF raise more than $200K for Hurricane Helene disaster relief
Grant recipient French Broad Food Co-op in Asheville, North Carolina is among cooperatives affected by the storm.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, National Co+op Grocers (NCG), in partnership with its member stores, brand partners and the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF), has raised more than $200,000 to support food cooperatives affected by the devastating storm.
Following the hurricane, NCG pledged to match up to $100,000 in donations from its member co-ops and brands, resulting in a final $201,914.13 raised. CDF will distribute the funds to help co-ops deal with impacts such as forced temporary closures, loss of inventory, property or equipment damages or losses, and support for staff who were personally impacted.
CDF has already approved $115,800 in grants to support Hendersonville Food Co-op (Hendersonville, N.C.) and French Broad Food Co-op (Asheville, N.C.). Any unallocated funds will be reserved for future disaster relief to support food co-ops.
"The generosity of the cooperative community and our brand partners has been swift and remarkable," said C.E. Pugh, CEO of NCG. "We're proud to stand alongside our fellow cooperatives during times of need, and it's an honor to match the contributions that make recovery possible."
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About CDF's Disaster Recovery Fund
The Cooperative Development Foundation's Disaster Recovery Fund is dedicated to helping cooperatives and their members recover after disasters or other emergencies. Unlike many funds, 100 percent of donations go directly to supporting cooperatives, with no administrative fees charged for management of the fund.
About National Co+op Grocers
National Co+op Grocers (NCG), founded in 1999, is a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops located throughout the U.S. NCG helps unify food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power and ultimately offer more value to natural food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere. Our 165 member co-ops operate more than 240 storefronts in 39 states, with combined annual sales of more than $2.6 billion. NCG is a winner of the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative Excellence and a certified B Corp.