BFC Cares Reaches Its Natural Conclusion

BFC Cares was a staff-run committee formed in 2024 that oversaw funds raised through the Round Up for Change program to support needs in our community. The committee has overseen the donation of thousands of dollars raised at the registers to organizations doing good work in our community, including Edible Brattleboro, Brattleboro Senior Meals, St. Brigid’s Kitchen, Loaves & Fishes, AIDS Project of Southern Vermont, Moonscape Farm, 69A, Putney Food Shelf, Dwight Miller Orchards, The Gathering Place, The Beloved Shelter, and The Boys & Girls Club. 

Originally BFC Cares was created by former members of Co-op’s leadership team to fund Safety & Outreach’s community support work — but many staff felt that funding for the food and other support that the Safety & Outreach department gave out should come from the Co-op’s own budget, not customer donations. In response, the former General Manager handed ownership of the effort to a group of staff, and the BFC Cares committee was born.

As the committee wrote in a letter to the Co-op’s Board of Directors, “When Emilee Hobbs became the General Manager, she brought with her a deep understanding of the value of Safety & Outreach’s work and the positive impact it has, not only for the community, but for the business too.” With Safety & Outreach now to be funded through the Co-op’s normal budgeting channels, the committee has decided to dissolve.

This is, in short, the best-case outcome: current leadership’s alignment with staff has ensured that Safety & Outreach’s work will continue through direct financial investment. 

The Co-op is grateful to everyone who donated to BFC Cares and to the small but committed group of Committee members for their work:

Taylor Hutcheson, Chair

Michelle McCaffrey, Treasurer

Liam Fletcher, Secretary

The Committee acknowledges former members Ruth Garbus, Sam Miller, and Klara Charlton, whose time, effort, and compassion for our mission was invaluable.

Please note that the June Round Up donations were split between Foodworks, the Brattleboro Literary Festival, and BFC Cares.