|
 |
|
Letter from Directors
2023 was a year of reflection, innovation and growth as Wellspring continues to mature organizationally in our second decade. Wellspring runs two core programs of cooperative development and community cooperative initiatives, both of which draw on our strengths forming community collaborations and creating organizations and businesses to solve community problems. This year we developed new partnerships to open the Gran Cocina community kitchen in Holyoke, to establish a community land trust, to expand our food access work through health and community centers, and to grow our network of ten cooperative businesses. Our ten-year anniversary celebration offered an opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and recognize past and present leaders. This event strengthened our collective identity through telling Wellspring’s story and created a new tradition of leadership awards. Throughout the year we also reflected on the limitations of our board election process, which lead to support by the Governance Committee and board for a new participatory election system and plans to clarify and update our organizational membership. Wellspring’s priority of community engagement and participation is also evident in the multiple outreach events held this year as well as our emphasis on creating maker spaces that expand community access to productive resources. Most noteworthy was the Building Worker Power conference organized by our Labor Co-op Committee, which drew over 450 participants. After many years of exploring different models for maker spaces, Wellspring joined with Neighbor to Neighbor to make a significant investment in the creation of the Gran Cocina/Great Kitchen community kitchen as an incubator for new food businesses. Wellspring is also exploring the possibility of a community production space, which was the focus of our annual General Assembly.
New financial resources are also funding growth at Wellspring. These include a significant grant from the new Just Fund, expansion of the USDA funded prescription produce program, and a $140,000 one-time, year-end CITC donation through Baystate United Way. These many accomplishments are a tribute to the dedicated co-op members, leaders and volunteers working together to realize Wellspring’s vision of a cooperative economy and community in Springfield and Western Massachusetts.
In Solidarity, |
|
|
|
|
|
Ten Years of Building the Cooperative Economy |
|
“Ten years, ten co-ops” was the theme of Wellspring’s anniversary celebration on October 15. Members, supporters, and friends gathered at the Carriage House in Forest Park to celebrate our accomplishments and community. The elegant setting and good food provided a perfect setting to reflect on our achievements and recognize the contributions of our leaders.
Wellspring chairs Ernesto Cruz and Tracye Whitfield opened the program by recognizing the invaluable contributions of our board and committee members. Many of our significant achievements were highlighted during the Wellspring Story, recounted by co-directors Emily Kawano and Fred Rose. The presentation and slide show provided a timeline from our formation in 2011 to our first cooperative (Wellspring Upholstery) founded in 2013 through to the present day, with opportunities for key participants to say a few words about their experiences and contributions.
Below are the members of our co-op network, which were each introduced during the event, as highlighted here:
|
|
| Wellspring Upholstery was founded in 2013 as a full-service upholstery workshop serving institutions, commercial and individual customers. With five employees, it became profitable in 2018 but was forced to reorganize during COVID and is now rebuilding sales and its workforce. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wellspring Harvest, founded in 2018, is a hydroponic greenhouse growing lettuce and herbs for commercial and institutional customers. Now the largest urban greenhouse in Massachusetts, it employs eight people with sales of $316,400 in 2023. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jumping Jack Hoops grew out of the Co-op Boot Camp in 2018. With two members, this part-time cooperative makes and sells hula hoops and offers programs for recreation and health. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chronic Trips was founded in 2016 as a consumer and worker cooperative and joined Wellspring in 2020. They organize outdoor adventures and events that promote environmental stewardship, foster a sense of place and build community. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Farm Bug joined Wellspring in 2020 as a cooperative formed to grow and advocate for organic, sustainable, small scale craft cannabis production. They are seeking a site and host agreement to build a production greenhouse. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Catalyst Cooperative Healing joined Wellspring in 2021 and provides psychotherapy for adults, children and families with attention to oppressive social systems. With three founding members the co-op has grown to seven therapists and worker owners. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Energia was formed in 2009 by Co-op Power and Nuestras Raices, became a worker cooperative in 2018, and joined the Wellspring network in 2022. Located in Holyoke, Energia carries out energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades for residential and commercial buildings. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Northeast Biodiesel was formed by Co-op Power in 2004 to manufacture high quality, renewable energy from waste cooking oil. After Wellspring provided co-op training for its worker-owners, Northeast Biodiesel joined the network in 2022. Production is planned to begin at the plant in 2024. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Natural Living Landscapes was founded in 2022 as a full-service design/build landscaping cooperative. Now with three worker-owners, Natural Living Landscapes prioritizes ecological and regenerative practices for residential customers. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All Good Cooperative was formed in 2023 as a shared marketing cooperative for mushrooms, herbs, wellness products and produce sales at area farmers markets. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The anniversary launched a new award tradition at Wellspring – with three award categories for an individual exhibiting Cooperative Spirit, an exemplary Cooperative Business, and the contributions of a Cooperative Ally. |
|
| Clive Ndlovu received the Cooperative Spirit award as a founding member of the Wellspring Harvest greenhouse and his growth as a cooperative leader.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Cooperative Business award was given to the Energia Worker Co-op which has provided weatherization services and jobs in Holyoke since 2009. Energia also made a successful transition from a multi-stakeholder to a worker cooperative.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Cooperative Ally award was given to Frank Robinson, Baystate Health Vice President of Community Relations and Public Health, as a founding member and sponsor of Wellspring who has continued to partner with our organization throughout our history.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Wellspring Story is ongoing, building on the accomplishments of our founding decade. Our network of cooperative businesses and community-led initiatives have been made possible by our dedicated partners, volunteers, staff and financial supporters. The collage of participation and accomplishments highlighted during this anniversary event created a strong sense that this is OUR story, and this collective endeavor is forging something new and exciting for our region. That story is still unfolding as we look ahead to our next decade of work together.
|
|
|
Building Worker Power Through Unions & Cooperatives |
|
Building Worker Power Conference |
|
 |
Wellspring’s Labor/Co-op Committee initiated a joint effort with the UMass Labor Center to organize the Building Worker Power Conference. Hundreds of people came from across the region to participate in the conference, with over 30 workshops and two plenaries. On Friday evening, the keynote panelists Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson and Chris Smalls the president of Amazon Labor Union electrified a packed auditorium and created a buzz of excitement and inspiration that reverberated throughout the following days. Saturday’s plenary featured stories from a number of unionized co-ops including Worx Printing, PVD Flowers Co-op, and White Electric Coffee Co-op. |
|
Labor Day Webinar on Co-op Transitions Wellspring’s Labor/Co-op Committee organized a Labor Day webinar on “Transitioning Traditional Businesses to Worker Co-ops.” The panel featured two local case studies: Beth Spong spoke about Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee’s journey to worker ownership, and Tom Ewing from Ewing Controls shared their experience. Wellspring’s co-director Fred Rose wrapped up the webinar with a range of resources to support Co-op Transitions. |
|
|
|
The Vision of a Community Land Trust with Community Production
2023 General Assembly: Spotlight on Local Resilience and Community Production |
|
 |
On December 1, Wellspring held our General Assembly at the Springfield Innovation Center. We are grateful to Make-It-Springfield for sharing their access to this beautiful venue. The event combined a grazing table, socializing, an overview of the past year, and Board elections. |
|
| We also had a terrific keynote talk on Preparing for System Breakdown: Community Production and Digital Fabrication. The speaker, Blair Evans, is the founder and Director of Incite Focus, which relocated from Detroit to its current location in Idlewild, MI, and is part of an effort to preserve and revitalize the legacy of what has historically been known as Black Eden.
Blair explained how centers for community production, built on a social and economic justice foundation, seek to address global supply chain disruptions and build local resilience to crises like climate change, pandemics, and political or economic turmoil. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
These centers will use rapidly advancing digital fabrication technology to meet local needs with sustainable materials. A shared governance structure will ensure these centers benefit and remain accountable to the community. Many such centers are part of an international network of 1,750 Fab Labs, an open creative community of fabricators, with a slogan, “Design globally, produce locally.”
Wellspring envisions creating a Center for Community Production to be a part of multi-use Lower Valley Community Land Trust. Read more about our land trust work below. |
|
 |
|
Community Land Trust Work from local to national |
|
 |
Lower Valley Community Land TrustWellspring Cooperative, WMass Neighbor to Neighbor and Equity Trust continued this year working to develop a Lower Valley Community Land Trust (CLT) with a focus on Springfield and Holyoke. The land trust would develop a local solidarity economy ecosystem including permanently affordable, green housing; regenerative agriculture/food system; space to support culture, community connection and education; and production through co-op businesses and DIT (do-it-together) forms of community production and mutual aid. A Center for Community Production with traditional and digital fabrication technology would support all of the above.
|
|
 |
Regional, Statewide & National Collaboration Collaboration on this work continued regionally, statewide, and nationally as well. The Lower Valley CLT is a member of the Housing & Land Justice Collaborative (working name) whose members include existing or in-formation CLTs in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties. This group has been meeting for two years to explore ways to collaborate and support each other. In the fall of 2023, in partnership with Franklin County CLT, the Steering Committee was awarded a $40,000 grant from the MA Department of Public Health’s Root Cause Solutions Exchange to advance this collaborative housing equity work.
The Greater Boston CLT Network (GBCLT) has been taking the lead on local policy work for years, some of which have expanded to the state level. The Housing and Land Justice Collaborative works with the GBCLT Network on these advocacy efforts.
On the national level, Wellspring’s CLT work has engaged with and benefited from the support of the People’s Network for Land and Liberation (PNLL), an initiative of organizations in six regions of the US, including ours, that is building cooperative, regenerative and balanced local communities based on the solidarity economy.
|
|
|
Strengthening Community Food Sector
Food brings people together with the potential to drive community development. In addition access to fresh, healthy food is a right. Yet despite our rich agricultural region in Western Massachusetts many urban communities do not have access to this local bounty. Wellspring is strengthening the food sector and increasing nutrition and health through multiple programs. |
|
| Gran Cocina/Great Kitchen is a new food business incubator founded by Wellspring and Neighbor to Neighbor this year. Together we purchased a full-service kitchen at 121 High Street in Holyoke and hired a kitchen manager, Sean Terwilliger, to recruit and coordinate kitchen users. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This commercial community kitchen offers a safe, legal, and worker-friendly environment where new and emerging food businesses, food trucks and caterers can produce their culinary creations. This shared kitchen operates 24/7 and offers members a place to store their tools and refrigerate their food; all at an affordable fee. Subsidies are available for limited-income users. The kitchen fills a gap in the emerging food economy in Holyoke and has received strong support from city and community leaders. |
|
Go Fresh Mobile Market is a mobile farmers market serving food insecure Springfield residents. Go Fresh operates out of the Wellspring Harvest greenhouse and aggregates produce from area farms with a priority on sourcing from BIPOC farmers. Fresh fruits and vegetables are delivered weekly throughout the year to senior and low- income housing complexes, health and community centers and area libraries. SNAP recipients can use their state Healthy Incentive Program benefits to purchase produce only at farmers markets. In 2023 the mobile market delivered over $62,000 of produce to 883 distinct customers at 20 sites across Springfield. |
|
 |
Springfield Prescription Produce Project is a three-year, USDA funded program designed to demonstrate the connection between nutrition and improved health. Wellspring is the grant lead for this collaboration with the three Baystate community health centers in Springfield, and the Center for Family Life at the University of Massachusetts. Medical providers at the three health centers are identifying 150 patients with conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and other conditions, and researchers are tracking the health benefits of improved nutrition over the 18 months of the program. |
|
| Participants are ”prescribed” a diet with increased fresh fruits and vegetables that they can purchase through the Go Fresh Mobile Market or other farmers markets that accept SNAP/HIP benefits. Nutrition education, food demonstrations, recipes and exercise classes are being provided to support changes in diet and lifestyles. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Solidarity Economy/Co-op Festival & Gathering |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Our 2nd annual statewide Solidarity Economy/Co-op Festival & Gathering were held in Pittsfield over the weekend of June 10-11.Saturday was Festival Day on the Pittsfield Commons. We had a great range of tablers including vendors and many organizations aligned with co-ops and the solidarity economy. We also had a free swap table, hands-on activities, music, cultural sharing and collective “We Make Us Safe” banner-making, which was the theme of the weekend. The two open space blocks of time, where anyone could offer a workshop, generated great offerings on worker co-op governance, creating safe and inclusive spaces, laughter yoga, Economics for Emancipation, and multicultural organizing. We wrapped up the day with an introductory workshop on the solidarity economy and a fun performance for kids and families. Some people took a walking tour of nearby solidarity economy and organizing initiatives and spaces. |
|
 |
On Sunday, a smaller group convened at the Berkshire Community College to engage in relationship building, visioning, and creating a shared understanding of the state of the solidarity economy movement in Massachusetts. Workshops focused on local Berkshire organizing, CLTs, Land & Housing, Idea Currency Game, Frontline Leadership, and Planning for Safer Movement Space. We used a World Café process to collectively identify opportunities to strengthen our movement. Priorities included a continued focus on building frontline leadership, a commitment to, and support for, creating safe spaces, and ramping up good storytelling about solidarity economy work across the state. |
|
 |
We worked hard to make the entire weekend accessible and safe. Interpretation and childcare were available for free, and a team of volunteers were prepared to address and provide support for anyone who felt in any way unsafe. Happily the team was not called into action. Overall, the feedback from participants was that it was an energizing, hope filled, welcoming and fun event that gave us all a tremendous boost of inspiration to continue to build our movement for a more cooperative, just, democratic, equitable and sustainable world. |
|
|
Together We are StrongerIn 2023, Wellspring Cooperative held eleven local educational and outreach events to boost community engagement with local residents and organizations. Additionally, Wellspring participated in national activities promoting the cooperative and solidarity economy movements. We established new relationships with city government, the Chamber of Commerce, Mass Development, and E for All through our work around the Holyoke community kitchen. The Prescription Produce and community production networks strengthened ties with Baystate Health and the University of Massachusetts.
The March Building Worker Power conference further solidified connections with unions, UMass, and its 450 participants. The Wellspring Harvest greenhouse developed new relationships with technical assistance providers, including the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) and Franklin County CDC. Additionally, community land trust work expanded relationships with Neighbor to Neighbor, Equity Trust and a network of regional partners.
Our impact is strengthened in solidarity with these partners whose vision for just, healthy, and flourishing communities echoes that of Wellspring’s. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
Up in 20232023 was an up year! Donations were up, foundation and government grants were up, and most importantly investment in our programs was up. With giving up by 35% and grant funding up by 50%, 2023 has been a record breaking year with revenues hitting $812,810. Our diversified funding base of generous individual supporters balanced by local, regional and government grants helped fund our general operating expenses and invest almost $400,000 into our co-op development and community cooperative initiatives programs. To top that off, a generous end of year gift from an anonymous benefactor allowed us to finish the year with an unusually high carryover balance enabling us to start 2024 with partial funding.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Funding Through Community Investment Tax Credit Surpasses $1 Million |
|
Wellspring is a member of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), a state-wide membership association of more than 100 community development corporations (CDCs) and non-profit organizations. CDCs develop and improve urban, rural, and suburban communities in sustainable ways that create and expand economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income people. Every year Wellspring applies for an allocation of tax credits from the state. |
|
 |
The tax credit program awards donors of $1,000 or more a 50% Massachusetts tax credit encouraging donors to double their donations knowing that they will get half back with this tax credit. Wellspring has been participating in this program since 2019, and in 2023 we raised $336,000 through CITC. In five years we have raised over $1.16 million! Learn more. |
|
|
In Appreciation!
To our board for your invaluable contribution of time, wisdom, creativity & work! |
|
2023 BOARD MEMBERS
Julia Agron Chronic Trips Cooperative Todd Bailey Baystate Health Natalie Cotton-Nessler Western New England University Ernesto Cruz* Coalition for Worker Ownership and Power (COWOP) Terry Gibson Neighbor to Neighbor J Jasper Farm Bug Cooperative Jeff Jones UFCW Local 1459 Ronald Molina-Brantley** Berkshire Bank Jorge Perez PATCH Boone Shear University of Massachusetts Tracye Whitfield* Springfield City Council & Coalition for a Equitable Economy *co-chair **treasurer
|
|
NEW for 2024 BOARD
Lesenia Fields Go Fresh Mobile Market Ivelice Lefebvre Energia Charles Schweik UMass Amherst School of Public Policy Moyah Smith M & T Bank Clive Ndlovo Wellspring Harvest Cooperative
|
|
|
|
Bettye Anderson Frederic Sarah Assefa Jennifer Atlee Lee Badgett & Elizabeth Silver Jordan Bailey Todd Bailey Kristan & Ben Bakker Luke Bakker Andrew Balder & Cynthia Sommer Lundy Bancroft Lisa Baskin Lynn Benander Daphne & Clint Berry Evan Bollinger William & Janet Brownstein Robert & Joan Butler Katherine Campbell Sandy Cassanelli Madeleine Charney Nathan Chung Michael Cohen & Chia Collins Francis Cole Bouzha Cookman Chris Copeland Lorraine Cordeiro Natalie Cotton-Nessler Timothy Cronin Ernesto Cruz Lisa Damtoft Gabriella della Croce & Bob Gruber Dianne Doherty Lynn Duggan John Dunne Jerry Epstein Aaron Evans-Janes
|
|
| John Feffer Ann Ferguson Maureen Flannery Giselle Gaines Ken Galdston Alix Gerber Zaida Govan David Greenberg Rosalind Greenstein Robin Harris Cortney Haynes Lydia Hemphill Frank Holmquist Mary Hoyer Bi-sek Hsiao Sarita Hudson James Jasper Douglas & Betsy Gardner Johnson Frank & Mary Johnson Tracy Johnson Jeff Jones Margo Jones Steve Jones Emma Karnes Emily Kawano & Jim Dee Christina Kopp Jennifer Ladd Joan Lager Pierre Laliberte Phil Lawrence Kristin Loftus Penn Loh Paula Loudenslager Ralph & Mary Ann Lowen Myra & Curt Marcellin
|
|
| Maddie Marquez Katherine & Stephen Martin Julie Matthaei Verne McArthur Kevin McCarron Logan McFadden Germazion Medhanie Gail Milliken Dorothy Milne Sharon Moulton Karen Nakano Andrea Nash Emily Norton Liz O'Gilvie Dave O'Leary & Lisa Covi Aliana Pineiro Erin Placey Richard & Carol Plaut Lisa Ranghelli Scott Reed Frank Robinson Susan Roche Fred & Lynn Rose Robert Rose Lisa Russell Jeff Scavron Sara Schley Lori Schwartz Pamela Schwartz & Joel Feldman Kathleen Sharkey Jonny Sopotiuk Michael Suzor Mary Swedlund Millicent S. Thayer Elizabeth Vandermark Joan Grenier & Jon Weissman |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To our generous funders and folks who have donated their professional services! |
|
|
Beveridge Family Foundation City of Holyoke - Mass in Motion Program Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts Fourth Horse Fund Give Lively Foundation Health New England Foundation Just Fund M & T Bank |
|
| Mass Growth Capital Corp MassMutual Foundation PeoplesBank The Old Howe Place Fund United Food and Commercial Workers - UFCW United States Department of Agriculture VMWare Wild Geese Foundation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro bono service providers |
|
Carolyn Edsell-Vetter and Johan Matthews, Cooperative Fund of the Northeast Jerry Koch-Gonzalez, Sociocracy for All Amine Benali, Director Strategy and Development, Local Enterprise Assistance Fund Alex Pyle, esq; Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green PA Stakeholders Capital Carlos Teuscher, Suffolk University, Transactional Law Clinic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cooperatively building more just and sustainable communities as we start our 2nd decade |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wellspring Cooperative Corporation 121 Pinevale Street PO Box 51116 Springfield, MA 01151
Copyright 2024 |
|
|
|
|
|
