Instead of walking down narrow aisles with a minimal amount of groceries from which to choose, Rose Bender is able to shop in a fully stocked, brand-new Neighborhood Co-op.

The new store is great, said Bender, a Carbondale resident and 10 year Neighborhood Co-op shopper. It’s not as crowded as it was before and is better organized.

The Neighborhood Co-op, a not-for-profit organization at 104 E. Jackson St., has been open in Carbondale for 10 years. Two years ago, the board of directors decided to expand the store and add a bigger variety of products.

Advertisement

A Co-op is an organization owned by its members. All the profits coming into the store stay in the store. Co-ops offer a feeling of community to the members because everyone has an effect on the success of the store.

Even though a membership is not required to shop at the Co-op, there are 1,900 members who pay $5 for a year-long membership. There are about 25 paid positions, but most help is through volunteers.

Carrie Calhoun, a senior in zoology from Elmhurst, is a cashier and shopper at the Co-op.

The Co-op is more relaxed, she said. I feel like I’m supporting a smaller company. It gives me more of a feeling of community since I am away from home.

Toni Danhour, a cashier and buyer for the Co-op, said the quality of service is better than that of a large grocery store.

The Co-op is much more personal, she said. There’s help available to find an item or even special order it. As a member you can volunteer to work in the store and get even more discounts.

Lee Hartman, a member of the board of directors, said he looked forward to the move and is pleased with the results of the new store.

Advertisement*

The store is bigger and better, he said. We have so much more space. People are able to move around better and find items easier.

Donations made by the community enabled the Co-op to make the move to a new store a month ago. The original store was 800-square feet and was not able to contain all the new products the new 1,850-square-foot store can hold.

The store offers wider aisles, the ability to have shopping carts, a deli and a bigger kitchen, which allows for more baking.

Danhour said the move was needed because the Co-op is now able to offer a more diverse range of products.

We have more of everything now, she said. We have a variety of frozen foods, produce, vitamins and supplements that we were able to expand to that we didn’t have before.

We needed the space. We were really crowded next door, and now we have more of everything.

The Co-op is unlike other local grocery stores because of the products sold. Bulk items including beans, rice grains and spices are sold at lower prices. Shoppers are required to bring their own containers to hold the bulk items.

I buy a lot of items that don’t use packaging, Hartman said. I like being able to buy things without having to throw away paper and plastic.

The expansion provided a bigger kitchen that allows more freshly baked items, like bread and cookies to be made. And more cooler space helps to keep a wider majority of organically grown fruits and vegetables.

The Co-op also has a supply of preservative-free foods, which makes shopping easier for people with allergies.

Bender said she is happy about the new items the store offers.

It’s always fun to go around and find things that you usually don’t find in bigger department stores, she said. There are all these unusual items you can find here, and it is a better quality of food.