Community Cooperative provides help in Fort Myers for those needing shopping assistance

Community Cooperative in Fort Myers has been committed to helping end hunger and homelessness in Southwest Florida for the past 40 years.

Stefanie Ink-Edwards is CEO of Community Cooperative. She’s been with the organization for the past 10 years and has developed innovative ways to help people in need and make them feel right at home.

“I have seen the need grow over the years, and I’ve seen how this organization evolves. Our mission really hasn’t changed in over 40 years of being in existence but how we meet the need and help people in Southwest Florida has, Ink-Edwards said.

Community Cooperative recently developed a private shopping experience for clients through a community market. It’s set up to be a personalized and private shopping session, tailored to the needs and preferences of the client.

“Our community market, where we are standing today, is a choice market. That means that a volunteer or staff member is going to work with an individual on what they need and their family. Coming to a market is a humbling experience enough as it is. So we really want to give people the opportunity to have dignity in choosing what they eat," she said.

Client Charlotte Andrews appreciates the personal touch.

“It’s personalized, so you can pick out what you want and what you need versus other people just putting everything in the bag and saying here you go, and you don’t get to choose what you want. Yes, it’s very nice," Andrews said.

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Julius Furlow, left, shops with volunteer Ron Dennis on Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, at the market at Community Cooperative in Fort Myers. The organization just started taking appointments for market shopping so clients can come at a time that is convenient to them. If clients don't need an appointment, they can come shop between 9 am and noon Monday through Friday.

Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU

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Community Cooperative in Fort Myers has a market where clients can shop for food Monday-Friday, and they also have a cafe where they serve hot meals.

Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU

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Community Cooperative volunteer Ron Dennis, left, helps Janet Barker pick out food on Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, at the market at Community Cooperative in Fort Myers.

Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU

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Community Cooperative volunteer Ron Dennis, left, helps Janet Barker pick out food on Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, at the market at Community Cooperative in Fort Myers.

Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU

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Joanne Bullivant, a volunteer with Community Cooperative helps Shay Williams pick out food for her family on Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, at the market at Community Cooperative in Fort Myers.

Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU

Ink-Edwards said it’s also their mission to provide quality food for all of their clients.

“We take a lot of pride in what we have in here and the food that we distribute throughout all our programs," Ink-Edwards said. "I have a philosophy too of I would never ask someone to eat something that I wouldn’t feed my own family."

Community Cooperative also has a busy kitchen operation with a dedicated team of volunteers and staff who prepare hot and fresh meals on a daily basis. They serve about 120 to 150 meals for lunch to those in need. The organization also provides meals on wheels, a national school program as well as hot meals for other food pantries.

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