VIROQUA, Wis. — The Give Where You Live initiative is Viroqua Food Co-op’s owner-powered giving program, designed to strengthen the community by generating essential funds and awareness for local non-profits and schools that deliver critical services in the area. Through the generosity of shoppers rounding up their transactions, alongside other register donations and the Co-op’s contributions, the program has historically made a major impact. Collectively, the GWYL program has raised and donated more than $295,000 to local organizations. Last year alone, $46,444 was raised and donated through the program.
this month the community surrounding the Viroqua Food Co-op is once again rallying support for a crucial local resource, as the McIntosh Memorial Library has been named the November recipient of the Co-op’s Give Where You Live program. The selection of the McIntosh Memorial Library highlights the community’s commitment to education and accessibility. The library, which has served the Viroqua area since 1898, is being supported by Co-op friends who are encouraged to round up their purchases throughout November.
The library is a significant educational hub, housing a collection of over 40,000 items. In addition to physical materials, the facility offers 15 public Internet computers and wireless Internet access. The McIntosh Memorial Library also places a special emphasis on children’s programming for youth ages 2 to 18, and provides online programming for patrons of all ages.
As a member of the Winding Rivers Library System (WRLS), the library participates in WRLSWEB, which is an online shared card catalog. This system allows patrons to easily search for and receive materials from libraries across the seven-county region.
The Co-op owners and shoppers drive the success of the GWYL program. The total monthly donation is comprised primarily of the change Co-op owners and shoppers round up at the registers, along with other register donations. Additionally, the Viroqua Food Co-op contributes one percent of its sales every second Wednesday of the month to the current recipient’s total.
McIntosh Memorial Library was selected through a democratic process established by the Co-op’s owners. Each October, Co-op owners nominate qualifying local schools and 501(c)(3) non-profits. The owners then vote in November (for the following year’s recipients), and the 11 organizations that receive the most votes become the recipients assigned to a month the following year. Recipients, like the McIntosh Memorial Library, must be non-partisan, non-discriminatory, secular, and align with the Co-op’s mission.
This donation cycle, which sees organizations such as the library benefit, reinforces the Co-op’s commitment to community development, guided by its cooperative value of caring for others. Just as the library acts as a reservoir of knowledge, connecting residents to thousands of resources, the Give Where You Live program acts as a community-wide fundraising channel, linking the generosity of shoppers directly to organizations that strengthen local services.
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