The Food Bank team operates The Littleton Food Bank at Calvary South Denver Church, located at 9052 W. Ken Caryl Ave. in Littleton. The food bank is open on Fridays from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Throughout the week, they are stocking and doing inventory, sorting food bank goods, marketing the food bank, and picking up Food Bank of the Rockies donated food through their Grocery Rescue program. While the food bank doesn’t make monetary profits, the CO-OP members voted to run the food bank to give back to their supportive community. It is considered the philanthropic arm of the CO-OP. The Food Bank team members receive monthly dividend shares and participate actively in business decisions for the CO-OP.

The Culinary team is designed to allow our participants to work on food preparation and safety skills. They make sweet treats and seasonal goods to sell at the coffee shop location, online, or for community member orders. One day a week they cook lunch and sell it to CO-OP members and Stepping Stone staff. The Culinary Team learns meal preparation and planning skills including making grocery lists and grocery shopping for needed ingredients. In addition, the team members enjoy researching and developing new recipes and going over financials on how their items are selling. Culinary outings include visiting speciality equipment shops and local bakeries and cafes.

The Product team makes lip balms, candles, lotions, bath dust, and sniffer butter (for our furry friends). Each week, this team works extremely hard to make sure their products are high quality. They work on inventory, ordering new materials, marketing, research and development, task analysis, and use their creativity to come up with unique labels for their products. They are constantly working together as a team to produce amazing products that our customers love.

The Coffee Shop team opens their doors at the northwest entrance of Calvary South Denver Church, 9052 W. Ken Caryl Ave. in Littleton, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Operating a functional coffee shop, open to the community, they serve lattes, coffee, tea, baked goods, chai lattes, etc. This team works hard throughout the week to prepare for their coffee shop by doing inventory, purchasing supplies, marketing their coffee shop, learning how to make their drinks, making syrups, and researching how to become a better business. Team members also learn customer service skills, sanitation practices, and other skills needed to work in a coffee shop or food service setting. They also make coffee for the food bank visitors and serve them during food bank hours on Fridays. The Coffee Shop team is also supported by our Finance committee. This is made up of participants from all the CO-OP teams who are interested in learning finance and money management skills.

The FLAMES team makes dog biscuits, dog toys, stock cards, key chains, book marks, and seasonal items. They enjoy being innovative and experimenting with new product ideas. They support the other CO-OP teams with their creativity, marketing, and creating community relationships for the CO-OP, allowing them to sell their products in other locations. The team members work on marketing skills, creating flyers and ads, and presenting the CO-OP’s mission to businesses in the community.