Facts and figures

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The number of members in the three food cooperatives operating in the city varies. The Gilo cooperative has about 350 families registered, who enjoy some 30% saving on food and other basic products. About 60% of the members are olim from Russia; 50% are senior citizens; and 10% are large families. The food cooperative of Gilo also offers workshops on good nutrition. Kiryat Menahem, with some 750 families registered as members, has the highest number of different products - more than 300. The managing team has 10 people, while the other coop members work their shifts, about two hours a month. Among its members, 15% are olim from Ethiopia and 20% are senior citizens. The cooperative also organizes community events, most of them connected to ecology and the environment. In the Katamonim, the first food cooperative, some changes have occurred during recent years, and today the management team has eight people. Some 640 families are registered as members; 30% of them are senior citizens and 40% are single mothers. The food cooperative in Katamonim is known for having turned into a kind of alternative community center. It is not uncommon to see non-members popping in to help. The place has turned into a center of social activism, especially for empowering women. The cooperative has organized a cashier training course. A few of the women now work in supermarkets and have gained some economic independence. The food cooperatives are open three days a week at specific hours, which are posted in the community centers of the respective neighborhoods.