daily Co-op’s board election 2020
Sage Rios
Sage is a humble cashier at Daily who enjoys connecting to her community by sharing thoughts, food recipes, and staying informed on local activities. Outside her role at Daily, she is nurturing her first child and four fur-babies (2 cute dogs and 2 mischievous cats) with her partner while balancing the busy life with the slower moments. She moved into Athens when she was 12 years-old and spent her childhood living off of Buena Vista Ave. This space has brought lots of people into Sage's life and allowed her to appreciate the gem that is Athens. Now she spends days off baking healthy gluten-free goodies, gardening, putting together the new house from the Athens Land Trust with her partner, and taking naps with Lights. Right before starting her first year of college at Piedmont (right down the block from Daily), she placed her first resume at Daily. The first resume included high school career, interests, and the volunteer work at Apocalypse Haunted House in Alton, IL (in hopes that would spark some interest, it did not). However, after working at the Jittery Joe's Roasting Company and The Grit this allowed her to gain service experience and form a more professional understanding of things to include in a resume. These experiences has also shaped her values of family, community, empathy, sustainability, and transparency.
Why would you like to serve on the Daily Groceries Co-op Board?
I would like to serve on the Daily Groceries Board because I feel very grateful to the communities that are interwoven within Daily. I have met so many people inside this space and would like to contribute by cultivating a safe, loving, empowering environment to all.
How can you and your life experiences bring value to the Daily Groceries Co-op board?
I think my experience as a cashier at Daily will allow me to understand the needs that Daily has not been able to meet for future owner-members thus far. I have worked at Daily for 2 years and have watched it change a lot since I first started my work here. Yet, I know for many people, it is still not a place that feels accessible. Daily's mission started with creating a space that is able to provide affordable, fresh produce to everyone. Now we are called to further our vision.
Describe your experiences working collaboratively in a group setting.
I consider my time at Daily as collaborative. We work together to troubleshoot the random obstacles that happen during the day, we share thoughts and experiences that could provide an improved environment, and we support each other throughout the day.
The Daily Groceries Co-op Board does not deal with operational matters. It does deal with overall policies that identify and guide the mission of the organization. How do you see the board maintaining and expanding on the broader vision for the Co-op?
I see an effective board that communicates and engages with the community. For Daily to properly serve its owner members and the greater Athens area, it requires the involvement of its community and pulling in more diverse minds to cultivate a shared dream for all for the future. As a woman of color who experiences Daily on a day-to-day basis I can offer insightful perspective. I wish to see the Daily Board become successful in providing an inclusive community for everyone in Athens and being in a stable place so that it is able to better support its community.
How can Board members better represent the opinions of the membership and the larger Athens community?
By having an inclusive Board, there will be more room for voices from different communities within Athens and this will also inspire more engagement from the community! I believe that all the people who are running for the Board care about the Athens community, Daily, and bring many ideas on how to strengthen the connection between Daily and its Owner-Members. We all want to see Daily thrive and everyone is willing to listen to what our community needs for that to happen.