NOVEMBER 6th, 2025
Co-op shoppers and owners –
One year ago today, TPSS reopened its doors after an 18-week remodel. It was a joyful, long-awaited morning — the hum of conversation in the aisles, neighbors rediscovering their favorite products, the simple relief of being back together in these walls.
That day also came less than 24 hours after the 2024 election. The excitement of reopening mixed with the uncertainty many of us felt about what lay ahead. It’s hard now to think about one without the other.
Over the past year, we’ve watched national decisions ripple through our local lives. Tariffs have affected our costs on everyday items like bananas and coffee. Federal cuts and layoffs have cost neighbors their income. SNAP recipients — some of our loyal shoppers — have faced the unimaginable stress of funds suddenly disappearing. At times, it feels like we’re all running on a treadmill built to exhaust our empathy and our sense of possibility.
And yet, through all of it, this community has shown what cooperation looks like in practice.
Mutual aid groups have mobilized faster than any agency could. Shoppers have refused to give their dollars to corporations profiting from harm, instead choosing to support independent grocers and cooperatives like ours. On Tuesday, voters across Virginia and beyond sent a powerful message that the current direction is unacceptable — that communities deserve leaders who value people over profit.
Here at the Co-op, we’ve been doing what we always do: adapting, connecting, and building. We’ve strengthened ties with other food co-ops across the region and lent our experience to groups starting their own. The same creativity that got us through COVID and an 18-week closure continues to guide us now. Every challenge we’ve faced has deepened our resilience and our capacity to respond with care.
This anniversary isn’t just about a remodeled store — it’s about what kind of future we’re remodeling toward.
The systems we rely on for food, work, and care are being tested. But that testing also reveals what’s possible when we organize differently. When ownership is shared. When decisions are transparent. When our community’s wellbeing is the measure of success.
Thank you, sincerely, for being part of that work. Your membership and your shopping choices make TPSS an example that a grocery store can thrive financially and stand for fairness, dignity, and sustainability.
Please make sure to vote in our Board election by November 15, and thank you to everyone who has contributed to our Feed a Neighbor Fund supporting SNAP recipients during this ongoing crisis. We’ll keep it going as long as it’s needed.
This year reminded us that cooperation isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. I’m proud to stand with all of you in proving what community ownership can do.
– Mike Houston, TPSS General Manager