Shop 4% Friday on May 28th to Support Concrete Farm to School

On the 4th Friday of every month, you shop and, together, we give! This year Skagit Valley Food Co-op has partnered with Skagit Community Foundation to make 4% Friday twice as nice with Double Donation Days! Skagit Community Foundation will be matching all of our 4% Friday giving for 2021.

Now, when you shop 4% Friday Community Shopping Days, your purchase will have twice the impact: on Friday, May 28th, we're donating 4% of sales to Concrete Farm to School, and the Skagit Community Foundation will match our total to double the donation!

The mission of United General District 304 is to build healthier communities. The mission of Concrete Farm to School is to build resilient students and families by providing access to healthy local foods, nutrition and culinary education, and hands-on gardening activities. Concrete Farm to School serves students, families, and community members that live within the Concrete School District boundaries.

How will your shopping trip help Concrete Farm to School?

4% Friday funds will be used to support the Concrete Farm to School summer vocational program for high school students. During the eight-week seasonal position, high school “program assistants” earn wages, grow produce and flowers in the school garden and greenhouse, assist the school district staff to maintain campus landscaping, lead younger students in garden activities, and work on local farms.

Learning is integrated into their summer experience with a focus on critical job skills such as communication, conflict management, resume writing, interviewing, and much more. United General doesn’t expect that every student will become a farmer or a cook, but Farm to School helps young people, and their community, reach their potential. Participants in the 2020 summer season reported increased leadership ability, initiative, teamwork, self-esteem, and desire to give back to their community.

United General has recognized the importance of a team setting to the program’s success and the students’ socio-emotional growth. 4% Friday funds will sustain the program and provide an opportunity for underserved youth in Concrete to access pathways for their future. One student said of her experience as a program assistant: “I grew in my confidence and that made me realize my personal goals.”