October is Co-op Month: Events in Maine

October is Co-op Month

Each October, cooperatives all across America celebrate the role, accomplishments and contributions of our nation's cooperatives. Cooperative Maine will once again be sponsoring events and raising awareness about co-ops.  

Cooperative Maine is a network of co-op advocates around the state,
promoting support for existing cooperatives and encouraging the
creation of new ones. These can be consumer (such as co-op food
stores), producer (farmer or craft), worker (such as Fedco Seeds),
housing (several in Maine and now the purchase of mobile home parks
by tenants), electric (Eastern Maine Electric Co-op), and credit unions.

The annual celebrations play a key role in promoting cooperatives to
co-op members, the public and policy makers. Through a combination of
media outreach, member education, and interaction with policy makers,
co-op month events help raise the visibility of cooperatives as a way
of creating democratic workplaces.

Research shows that when consumers know a business is a cooperative
or credit union (which are financial cooperatives), they are more
likely to do business with it. And with consumer trust in co-ops
topping investor-owned companies, promoting a business as a
cooperative is a win-win proposition.

In Maine, there will be a variety of events taking place during the
month and stretching into the beginning of November, including Credit
Union Week, October 14-20, film showings, forums, concerts, and more.

For more information about Co-op Month and a directory of Maine
cooperatives, email info@cooperativemaine.org or go to
www.cooperativemaine.org.

EVENTS:

October: Co-op Month, with events highlighting cooperatives in Maine
throughout the Month. Cooperative Maine, 525-7776.

October 14-20: Credit Union Week celebrated by credit unions
throughout Maine. Credit Union Day will be on October 18. For local
events for more info: Jon Paradise, Maine Credit Union League,
jparadise@mainecul.org.

October 18: ""I Am" film shown in conjunction with Co-op Month, time
TBA, Public Library, Rockland. Good Tern Cooperative, 594-8822 or
teishagoodtern@hotmail.com.

October 21: "Concert for Cooperatives" performance w/Emma's
Revolution, 7 PM, First Congregational Church, 22 Tenney Hill, Blue
Hill. Blue Hill Co-op, 441-2785 or hearme@natisp.com.

November 1: "Building a Stable Economy Right in Your Own Community"
presentation/discussion, 6:30 PM, Public Library, Bangor. Cooperative
Maine, deborahhawkins!@gmail.com.