The Philly Co-op Interns will split their work between Mariposa, the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance and the LCA Land Trust. They will be working with 3 exciting cooperative organizations at the center of Philly’s cooperative movement.
Mariposa Food Co-op is a consumer cooperative, with a democratic workplace. Mariposa Food Co-op strives to provide residents of West Philadelphia and beyond with access to and information about food, especially healthy, locally-grown or otherwise sustainably-produced products. Our primary activity is running a food co-op owned by those who shop there, who actively participate in its governance and operations on an egalitarian consensus-seeking basis. Mariposa is organized according to the principles of the international cooperative movement. Mariposa is growing substantially and undertaking exciting initiatives to establish a strategic plan, develop their democratic workplace, and develop a strategic plan.
The Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA) is a cross-sector cooperative association whose members are co-ops in the Philadelphia region. PACA acts as a “chamber of commerce” for area cooperatives and is also starting a co-op development center. Our mission is to improve the lives of people in the Philadelphia region by supporting democratically organized businesses, promoting the principles of the international cooperative movement, and growing the cooperative economy.
The LCA Land Trust is a housing cooperative consisting of 8 communities in Philadelphia’s Cedar Park. Its members are the inhabitants of the 8 houses in which these communities reside.The LCA continues to refine the consensus process and aims to serve its surrounding community as an agent of sustainable life. To promote neighborhood stability, combat community deterioration, provide relief to the poor, distressed and underprivileged...by purchasing property in the Cedar Park neighborhood and other neighborhoods in the district of West Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and holding the property in trust, keeping it affordable and well-maintained for the long-term use of low to moderate income individuals, relief agencies, and tax exempt organizations in the neighborhoods where the property is located.
To engage in educational activity concerning the use of land trusts (i.e., the non-profit cooperative ownership and management of property) as a tool and strategy to promote neighborhood stability, combat community deterioration, provide relief to the poor, and create a more just society through non-violent action, responsible use of resources and economic democracy.
Mariposa Food Co-op - Admin and Logistical Support for the Mariposa Board, Staff Collective, Operations Committee (co-management team) and other staff committees
Includes arranging facilitators, booking meeting spaces, advertising meetings, collating and printing meeting packets with agenda support materials, and tracking tasks, attending meetings, and documenting policies.
Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance - Outreach to area co-ops across all sectors, event planning, co-op education, research projects, public policy and advocacy, member services, database and contact management, youth engagement, co-op startup toolkit for Philadelphia region, regional co-op history, creation of directory of co-ops in the region, social media, graphic design, marketing.
LCA Land Trust -Assisting maintenance and development of organizational infrastructure (e.g. training and orientation manuals, member databases, document organization), Member Services, Co-op Meeting participation, internal Communications & Relationship Building:, New Member Orientation Support, Learning About Co-ops.
[Note: Two interns will be hired for this position.]
- All interns will participate in a new staff orientation at Mariposa
- Interns will meet with their supervisors regularly
- Much of the learning will come from the hands-on, day-to-day co-operative experience.
- Meeting facilitation
- democratic processes
- group process
- Organizational Accounting and Finance
- Organizational Structure
- Publication
- Participation in Mariposa’s Co-op and Social Justice Book Club