Meet Dodie Reddington of Long Beach Grocery Cooperative Inc

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dodie Reddington

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Although I am not a native of Long Beach, once I chose to live here almost four decades ago, it has become a very special place I call home, and I feel like I have been here my whole life. Long Beach is rich with history and diversity while also possessing a truly unique culture and personality. I live here with my sister, mom, and three beautiful cats in a home with a large yard where I am fortunate to have fruit bearing trees and plenty of gardening space. Throughout the year we grow and harvest a variety of items that we simply turn around and share with the neighborhood. We have an abundance and give away the excess. My motto is no one should go hungry. Growing up, I spent summers at my grandparents and spent countless hours with my grandfather in his garden and love getting my hands dirty. There is a culinary joy in eating fresh picked, healthy, wholesome goodness from your garden that no commercially created food can compare. I currently work for an Audio/Video integrator but have also worked in a variety of other industries in multiple capacities. However, my favorite work is when I can be found volunteering for several non-profit organizations. There is no shortage of opportunities for someone to become involved with something in this City. One of my top causes to support is finding solutions to the food shortage and access to healthy food options in my city. Because I feel so passionately that no one should struggle to find food is why I gravitated so quickly toward the Long Beach Grocery Co-Op. While attending a healthy food festival at Cesar Chavez Park in 2016 I was introduced to the food cooperative concept at the LBGCo-op table. I instantly saw the value and the need for this city to have this type of grocery store. It is a perfect fit solution for the culture of Long Beach. I immediately became the 11th owner and am determined to see this store come to fruition. The location of the store will be in an area of Long Beach that does not have access to healthy food options or grocery store that can supply fresh locally sourced goods. The store will provide that access, jobs, and economic benefits to the immediate community and the whole of Long Beach. Looking forward to 2028, when the Olympics come to Los Angeles, the area surrounding the store’s location is also getting a much-needed facelift as we welcome guests from all over the world.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Without having a significant presence of food co-operatives in the Greater Los Angeles area, there wasn’t any clear example to provide people of what a Co-op is and why it is important. Explaining the concept without having something real and tangible in place provided a huge challenge in gaining an understanding. With perseverance from Damon Lawerence, the founder and original president, it began to gain momentum. Ownerships started coming in and space for the grocery store was identified. Additional struggles soon followed in that funding fell short and lease opportunities were lost. The disappointment from owners that the store was not a reality yet along with the lack of patience that this takes years put a lot of pressure on the early board. Fatigue and frustration took a toll. However, the topper of challenges arrived in the form of a pandemic. The world shut down and everything went quiet for four long years. We are just now able to truly kick-start the movement, and it is very much like starting from the beginning all over again. The positive to all this is that we have a fresh Board of Directors and a secured space with our GC/Landlord who also was an original volunteer board member. His expertise in grocery store building will assure a custom space specifically for the Long Beach Grocery Co-Op.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Long Beach Grocery Cooperative Inc?
Long Beach Grocery Cooperative (LBGCo-op) is a start-up community-owned and operated grocery store that is committed to providing the Long Beach community with affordable, high-quality, wholesome foods and products for healthy living. Our store will source from local producers, artisans and fair-trade businesses, educating our community on benefits of healthy eating, conscious consumption and community engagement.
Currently LBGCo-op is at 913 owners and 76% of our next level milestone. We are very excited about the future and proud to present a newly formed, diverse board of incredibly talented board members led by our new President, Melissa Ramsay, that are re-energizing the movement. Our team, that also includes Sheila Anderzunas, Arthur Flores, Levi Curtis-Switzer, Kelly Whitten, Denise Boyd, and Damon Lawrence, is generating a lot of energy and much enthusiasm to get back on track. Fresh from attending the Food Cooperative Initiative’s “Up & Coming” conference, this board is ready to implement the knowledge and training they gained and immersing themselves into the community. The store site, 400 E Anaheim Street, is located in the heart of Cambodia Town, a highly diverse neighborhood celebrating the Khmer culture, customs, and traditions that advance the social and economic well-being of low- and moderate-income communities that is roughly a one-mile-long business corridor in Long Beach. The site backs up to Dignity Health-St. Mary Medical Center and is within walking distance of LA Metro light rail commonly known as the Blue Line (A Train), and access to city bus service.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Looking back with the knowledge I have today, I would have engaged more from the very beginning. I think it would have been beneficial to have learned more about food cooperatives and their importance in the community and become more active. It’s never too late which is a driving reason why I accepted a board position and help make this journey successful.

Pricing:

• Owner Share Price is $250 one-time with payment plan available

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.longbeachgrocery.coop/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/longbeachgrocerycoop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/longbeachgrocerycoop

Image Credits
Peoples Food Co-op for the images in their grocery store and FCI (Food Cooperative Initiative) for the conference photos.