Prairie North Co-op Announces 12 Days of Giving | Prairie North Co-op

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Prairie North Co-op Announces 12 Days of Giving

December 13, 2021

Last year we announced the 12 Days of Christmas contest. This year we are proud to announce the 12 Days of Giving -

	In the days leading up to Remembrance Day, Prairie North Co-op released a limited edition donut for sale in Melfort and Kelvington. $2 from every package sold was collected for the Legions in each of those communities. Melfort sold 262 packages and Kelvington sold 175 packages between Nov 1-10th. ON DAY 1 OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING we are proud to announce that we are topping those donations up with a cheque in the amount of $750 for the Legion in Melfort and $500 for the Legion in Kelvington.
	Prairie North Co-op is proud to provide an annual scholarship in the amount of $500 to a student who is enrolled in Cumberland College and has completed at least one semester of their program. ON DAY 2 OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING we are proud to announce that we will be sponsoring an additional scholarship in the amount of $500 for a student pursuing either their Agriculture Science Certificate (one year program), or their Agriculture Degree (first year of U of S Agriculture classes at Cumberland College).
	Did you know that the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign has raised funds for more than 125 years to meet its demand for services and that all the monies collected in Melfort stay in Melfort to support local programming and initiatives? The Campaign has grown into one of Canada’s most significant and recognizable annual charitable events, providing shelter and food for the homeless. ON DAY 3 OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to donation $500 to the Kettle Campaign of the Salvation Army Northeast Circuit Melfort.
	Prairie North Co-op has had a longstanding relationship with the North East SPCA through annual support of their fundraising initiatives and donations of the various supplies that are required to house and care for the animals that they shelter. Today, that relationship was strengthened on this the FOURTH OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, with the announcement of a recycling program that will see "retired" Prairie North Co-op employee uniforms turned into pet beds. Additionally, we are presenting the shelter with cat food and a cheque in the amount of $500.
	Between November 29th and December 10th Prairie North Co-op food stores in Archerwill, Kelvington, Melfort, Naicam, St. Brieux and Spalding collected donations for local Food Banks through the sale of Goodbye to Hunger bags. Through your cash donations and the sale of pre-packed bags (non-perishable grocery items), just over $2,000 was raised. On the FIFTH DAY OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to add $25 gift cards for each of the @ 150 Melfort Food Bank Christmas hampers (in lieu of handling frozen turkeys) and $50 gift cards to accompany each of the Kelvington Food Bank Christmas food vouchers.
	Charity Field project - this past Spring, Prairie North Co-op rented 15 acres of land that they owned outside of Melfort to the Melfort Rotary Club. In addition, they sourced donations for crop inputs – canola seed and chemical – in the amount of $2,000. Proceeds from the sale of the crop benefitted local charities supported by the Rotary Club, and on the SIXTH DAY OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to announce that the rent that we collected from the charity field project will be distributed to the 4H Clubs in Beatty, Kelvington, and Meskanaw-Ethelton.
	The Prairie North Co-operative of 2021 has a rich history that is rooted in agriculture. It was originally established in 1914 as the Melfort Grain Growers Co-operative Trading Association. Hampered by a lack of access to markets, area farmers decided to experiment with a purchasing co-operative to buy basic supplies and commodities. Today, on the SEVENTH DAY OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to announce that in 2022 a partnership with Bayer Crop Science will allow us to donate both canola seed and fuel to the Kelvington Community Grow Field. This project raises about $250,000 annually for a number of charities in the community of Kelvington. *adapted from One Hundred Years of Co-operation, Collaboration and Innovation, 2014. Published by Prairie NorthCo-op Ltd
	Being a Prairie North Co-op employee comes with benefits . . . from competitive wages, benefits and pension to personal and professional development opportunities. Today, on the EIGHTH DAY OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to announce that we are establishing a new scholarship for the children of Prairie North Co-op Employees. The scholarship is a one-time opportunity per student that can either be used for post-secondary education or supporting elite sports (provincial/national team) or culture opportunities (music, voice, etc.) Pictured is our first scholarship recipient, Sadie Graham, current Prairie North Co-op Food Store Employee
	As part of our efforts to reduce waste, Prairie North Co-op charges 5 cents for single-use plastic bags. What makes us a different kind of business is that when you bring your reusable bags when shopping in our Food Stores we track that and donate 3 cents to school food programs in your community. Through your efforts almost 40,000 reusable bags were used since July 11, 2021. On this, the NINTH DAY OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to announce that this money will be added to additional funds to issue cheques in the amount of $1500 to create/support school lunch programs in Archerwill, Kelvington, Naicam and St. Brieux Schools (Note: Prairie North Co-op has an established program in Melfort).
	In September 2021, we announced the Prairie North Co-op Sustainable Communities Fund (SCF), an allocation of funds to non-profit organizations that support community development. The purpose of the SCF is to provide support to capital projects and new programs that will enhance the quality of life for the people in the communities and surrounding region that make up the Prairie North Co-op trading area – Archerwill, Kelvington, Melfort, Naicam, Spalding, and St. Brieux. Over 20 very strong applications were received. The grant recipients were announced during Co-op Week . . . but what of the unsuccessful applications? On this, the TENTH DAY OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to announce that any group that indicated on their application form that their project would go ahead if they were unsuccessful, will be eligible for a special “matching top-up” to their fundraising when they take advantage of Co-op Gift Card Fundraising. For example, if their group sells $10,000 worth of gift cards, under the program they would receive 5% and if they applied for the SCF they would receive a matching $500.
	After the Community Spaces Call for Applications closed last Spring, we received a list of the organizations who had applied for funding that were from our trading area. One of those organizations was the Yellow Quill First Nation Health Centre who were looking for support to turn an existing space into a food bank that would prioritize new Moms in need. We reached out to Randall Kehrig, Wellness Facilitator. On this, the ELEVENTH DAY OF OUR 12 DAYS OF GIVING, we are proud to support his efforts with $3000 worth of Co-op gift cards to help him now, while we work out the logistics to supply their temporary food bank space with dried food goods, diapers and wipes for babies, cleaning supplies, etc. early in the new year.
	It takes a special kind of person willing to take on the challenge of responding to life-threatening emergencies and our volunteer fire departments in Archerwill, Kelvington, Melfort, Naicam, and St. Brieux are full of just those people! On this, the TWELFTH DAY OF OUR TWELVE DAYS OF GIVING, we recognize the people who keep our members safe and are proud to gift each of these organizations $2500 for first aid courses (or upgrades) for members, and/or specialized life saving equipment. From all of us at Prairie North Co-op . . . thank you!

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