Just Food Co-op

Kate Wall, Grocery Manager at Just Food Co-op, has received the first grant to be awarded by the Ron Griffith Young Leaders Fund. The grant will enable Kate to attend the three-day Rising Stars Seminar, an interactive management training opportunity in natural foods retails. In anticipating this workshop, Kate says she looks forward “to gaining skills focused on enhancing my management responsibilities, strengthening the department and the store, becoming a better leader in my work place and community, and deepening my understanding of the importance of how we choose to be leaders.”

Assuming a leadership role is not new to Kate. She worked as a community organizer in Guatemala for three years assisting indigenous women to establish daycare centers and create programs with their communities for self empowerment. Kate says, “More important than the actual proof of what I did, I acted as a role-model and mentor for several young women who will become leaders in their communities.” In Minnesota, Kate has served for five years as a Board member of the local Sustainable Farmers Association (SFA).

The Ron Griffith Young Leaders Fund (http://northfieldymca.org/ron-griffith), formed through a partnership between the YMCA and Just Food Co-op, welcomes grant applications from young adults with demonstrated leadership. The mission of the Ron Griffith Young Leaders Fund is to support and develop the capabilities, talents, and motivation of young adults in the Northfield community who are actively involved in providing leadership in areas contributing to long-term sustainability including local environmental initiatives, healthy food and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and community building.

Ron Griffith peacefully passed away early Thursday, March 12, 2009.