Co-op Month 2026: Built for This Moment

Co-op Month: Built for This Moment

Every October, co-ops across the country celebrate our community-owned, community-centered business model. This year’s theme, “Built for This Moment,” is a reminder that cooperatives were created to address market failures and respond to structural crises, and that co-ops thrive in the face of uncertainty and challenge (coopmonth.coop/about). It’s a great time to join People’s events, invest in your share, and encourage others to support People’s and other co-ops.

Become a Member-Owner, invest in your share or donate $30 to our Pay It Forward Fund through 11/1 and receive a special gift!

Co-op shoppers are a lot like scrub jays. Yes, you buy a lot of seeds (peanuts count!). Shout out to CB’s Nuts in the bulk section! But more importantly, every time you invest in your community, whether by visiting the farmers’ market, supporting a small business, shopping at co-ops, or investing in your People’s share, you’re planting something that grows. Together, we’re building a more resilient food system for the Portland area.

Learn about the benefits of being a Member-Owner

Sign up for a membership in-store. It takes a few minutes and you get a tote bag!

Learn about our Pay-It-Forward Membership Program

Funds are granted by a monthly lottery when funding is available. We are currently fundraising for this program and need many more donations to sustain the community demand.

Co-op Month Events

Every event is free and everyone is welcome. You don’t have to be a Member-Owner to attend!

Courtyard Yoga with Sai

Sunday, 10/11, 10am in the Courtyard. Bring your own mat. Space is limited - first come first serve.

Co-op Month Happy Hour

Saturday, 10/17, 5:30-8pm, in the Courtyard (be sure to bundle up!). Celebrate People’s with live music, Fairtrade goodies, and local refreshments.

Mending Club

Sunday, 10/18, 10am-12pm, in the Courtyard or the little event space a block away weather depending. Bring a project that needs mending. No experience required!

Game Night

Tuesday, 10/20, 4-6:30pm. Play games and enjoy snacks, plus chicha morada from Arcoiris Elixir.

Neighborhood Walk

Saturday, 10/24. Meet at 10:45am, depart at 11. Afterward, join us in the Courtyard for tea, pastries, and conversation.

Spooky Harvest Farmers’ Market

Wednesday, 10/28, 2-7pm. Trick or treat at the market, join the scavenger hunt for prizes, and visit the pumpkin carving gallery. Bring your own carved or decorated produce for a special treat!

Spooky Costume Yoga with Nina

Saturday, 10/31, 10am, in the Courtyard. Bring your own mat. Space is limited - first come first serve.

Taking Action for Immigrant Justice

Dear Co-op community,

You may be aware of a call for a national strike against ICE today, Friday, 1/30. Many local businesses are closing for the day in support of the National Shutdown.

We stand in solidarity with the immigrant community, Minnesota, and the call for a strike against ICE today. As stated in our Board's statement of solidarity, "Every person, no matter their language or country of origin, deserves to live and thrive in a welcoming community." ICE raids, family separations, and detention practices are fundamentally at odds with our cooperative values of human rights and social justice.

As an essential business, an ethical alternative to the big box grocery stores, and a resource to those who need access to food, we will remain open for business today, Friday, 1/30. We are one of a handful of grocery stores that offer the Double Up program, which provides financial assistance to low-income community members who use SNAP benefits.

From today, 1/30, to Tuesday, 2/3, we will be fundraising for the Minneapolis-based Immigrant Rapid Response Fund (IRRF), a fund that provides rapid, community-informed funding to organizations on the frontlines of response, care, and protection. Customers can choose to Round Up to the nearest dollar (or make a donation) at our registers to support IRRF. In addition to rounding up, we will donate 10% of today’s sales to IRRF.

We chose to support Minneapolis-based organizations because of our deep connection to the cooperative movement there. National Cooperative Grocers, our cooperative compass, is headquartered in Minneapolis, and local co-ops like Seward, Eastside, and the Wedge have been invaluable sources of help and inspiration to People's over the years.

Starting Wednesday, Feb. 4th, we will fundraise through register roundups for Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition until the end of February.

How you spend your dollars matters. We recommend:

• Supporting local immigrant and refugee-owned businesses.

• Paying in cash when possible to reduce corporate card processing fees and keep more resources in our community and out of the pockets of big banks.

• Supporting neighbors and community members who may be vulnerable right now.

For additional opportunities to support mutual aid organizations and immigration legal defense funds, check out Stand with Minnesota, a directory of organizations supporting Minnesota's immigrant community.

In solidarity,

People's Food Co-op's Collective Management

SNAP Update at People’s Food Co-op

SNAP Update at People’s Food Co-op

We’re closely monitoring the government shutdown’s impact on SNAP funding as well as SNAP funding in 2026. Here’s what we know as of November 1:

Current Situation

• UPDATE 11/12/25: November SNAP benefits have been distributed in full in Oregon after a U.S District court order to release the funds.

  The current federal government shutdown is causing a delay in distribution of Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) benefits. SNAP recipients received benefits in October, however November’s benefits are in question. We recommend checking Oregon Department of Human Services for updates to individual benefits: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/pages/snap-updates.aspx

• Federal judges have blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to cut off food assistance funding starting 11/1. “However, without clear next steps from the administration, SNAP funding has expired. This is devastating for 750,000 Oregonians who rely on these benefits to buy food.” Andrea Williams, OFB President

• In response to ongoing uncertainty, Governor Kotek has declared a state of emergency and allocated $5 million to the Oregon Food Bank. Oregon “is limited and cannot match the $140 million gap in SNAP benefits that Oregon families would typically rely on this month. And no food bank can replace SNAP. For every meal we provide, SNAP provides nine.” Williams, OFB The Oregon Food Bank plays a key role in enabling the Co-op to provide Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) for our SNAP customers. 

• Local businesses and orgs are raising money and providing free resources to the community members who are food insecure.

The situation is evolving rapidly. We’ll continue to share updates as soon as we can!

SNAP at People’s Food Co-op

UPDATE 11/7/25: The Double Up Food Bucks matching program is back to normal operations until further notice. $1 for $1 SNAP match up to $20 per visit on fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Oregon Food Bank is developing a new way to offer Double Up Food Bucks at the Co-op through an estimated 1:20 match. This means SNAP shoppers may soon be able to access up to $20/day in Double Up Food Bucks for every $1 spent using EBT.
This initiative is still in development, please stay tuned for more updates.

Other resources at Peoples: If you use SNAP but do not have a Double Up Food Bucks account at People’s, we’d love to sign you up at our register. We also offer an additional 5% discount and coupons to Member-Owners and have a program that gives free Co-op memberships to people in need. Inquire and sign up at the register any time.

SNAP at People’s Farmers’ Market

Our Farmers’ Market Double Up Food Bucks program is funded by the Farmers Market Fund, which has secured funding through November. The Fund created an Emergency Double Up Food Bucks plan which will provide a $.01:$20 match, ensuring continued access to fresh, local food during this uncertain time. We were able to launch the Emergency Double Up Fund at our Farmers’ Market this week!

UPDATE 11/12/25: Double Up Food Bucks is back to normal operations at the People’s Farmers’ Market. $1 for $1 SNAP match of fresh fruits and vegetables up to $20 per day.

Food Security Fundraiser at the Co-op

In response to recent events, our community has expressed the desire to raise money for community members who are facing food insecurity. To meet that energy, we are immediately modifying our register round up to raise funds to alleviate hunger and food insecurity. Although we don't yet know exactly how these funds will be distributed, we can assure you that they will be distributed either directly to community members in need and/or to organizations working to alleviate food insecurity in our community.

Free Food Resources in Portland

You can find a list of free food programs and mutual aid efforts here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YoPfWyHnwaTAhzlDM94YYvJTZqWGBSNNwkL1p-TGHuY/edit?usp=sharing

Ways You Can Help

• Donate or volunteer with mutual aid groups and organizations listed in the resource document listed above*. Community fundraising and volunteer efforts are making a real difference right now.

• Support local businesses that accept SNAP, including our Farmers’ Market vendors, neighborhood corner stores, and food co-ops. SNAP dollars are vital to our local economy - when funding is disrupted, small businesses and markets feel the impact.

• Call federal leaders and the USDA and demand SNAP funding. 

https://secure.oregonfoodbank.org/a/government-shutdown?emci=ada7c4c0-80b6-f011-8e61-6045bded8ba4&emdi=d446174a-44b7-f011-8e61-6045bded8ba4&ceid=376839

Support the Oregon Food Bank While You Shop!

Join us in helping our neighbors access nutritious food during challenging times. At each register, you’ll find a display with donation options from $5 to $150. Every dollar you contribute will go directly to purchasing pantry staples in high demand, which we will collect and deliver to the Oregon Food Bank at the end of the drive.

Many pantry staples are in short supply and critical for families facing food insecurity, including quality cooking oils, nut butters, seasonings, tomatoes, gluten-free options, and more. These items are often cost-prohibitive for families in need.

The rising cost of food and housing has led to a 31% increase in food assistance requests in our region, with over 2.5 million visits to food pantries over the past year alone. Food insecurity is hitting hard in Oregon and Southwest Washington, especially for Black, Indigenous, and Latine households, where food insecurity rates are disproportionately high (Oregon Food Bank).

Instead of the traditional food drive, we’re rallying our community to multiply our collective impact. Simply select a donation amount from the display, ring it up with your groceries, and know that your contribution is helping to provide real, nutritious support to folks in need. The Oregon Food Bank will distribute our donations through their numerous programs.

Thank you for being a part of this important effort. Together, we can help ensure everyone has access to the food they deserve.