With just days to go until the deadline, the steadfast locals behind the Kentucky Co-op have turned to crowd funding to secure the money they need to keep their general store.
Organiser Liz Ellis says in the fundraising post that the Kentucky Store and Café will close on May 31st 2024 unless they can raise the funds to buy and save it.
“People rely on the shop as the sole local provider of groceries, fuel, gas, Post Office services and to catch up with friends.”
“We’ve formed a Co-op, to buy the Store and run it as a community hub.”
the group has set up a new Facebook Page for the Co-op and are using this space and the GoFundMe page to encourage people to either donate, or buy shares in the venture.
Shares in the Department of Fair Trading Registered Co-op are $1000 each. While Co-op memberships are not intended to make a financial return, the surge in popularity of great New England products and hospitality experiences at small and unique venues, such as proposed by the Kentucky Co-Op could mean this new cooperative may be quite the solid investment as well as a very important way to provide for one of our smallest communities.
Aiming for a target of $500,000, the group says that if they don’t reach our funding goal, they will be unable to purchase the Store and will refund donations.
“If we are successful we hope you will drop in one day for a coffee or lunch, park the van in our HipCamp, have a beer at our Shearer’s Bar and check out the art gallery in the old Bakery,” Liz said on the fundraiser.
More details and donations can be made here.