BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2022
Community Begets More Community By Chris Maher, General Manager
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tudies have shown that people who prioritize spending their money on other people’s needs above their own report greater levels of happiness
It feels good to give and it’s good for us. It’s who we are. Indeed, it’s what has fueled our progress and allowed us to thrive and expand over the years.
”Studies have shown that people who prioritize spending their money on other people’s needs above their own report greater levels of happiness than those who spend it on themselves.” than those who spend it on themselves, regardless of the amount of money in question. Giving to those in need activates the areas of our brains that are associated with pleasure, social connection and safety. What does this mean? It shows that we, as a species, are biologically structured to put others’ needs above our own when we are able to do so. In effect, we are hard-wired to cooperate, a fact that runs counter to the narrative of the “survival of the fittest” that often underlies our highly individualistic society.
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The success we experience here at BriarPatch reflects this, as it’s largely built on the idea that so many people are coming together to meet their collective and common needs. And the message of love, compassion and kindness for our neighbors is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. We continue to respect our small, scrappy, buying club roots — the roots from which our current cooperative, collectivist thinking got its start. BriarPatch was founded so that more
people in our community could benefit from good food. At the time that was incredibly “out there” and future-forward thinking. Now that we are a large, independent grocery store, our look may have changed, but our heart and futureforward thinking nature have not. Our successful for-profit co-op has become something of an economic engine for mutual support initiatives in our community. Our shoppers’ dedication to the spirit of our collectivist beginnings is reflected in their patronage and loyalty to the Co-op and the values it stands for. Sales are strong and we are able to give back to the causes important to them. Now we are poised to bring this work into a new community, and it seems to me that this is an act of giving, sharing and cooperation that will uplift everyone involved. Community begets more community. I’m filled with hope and excitement for the things we can do together in the future and for the future.
