Go Co-op: October is National Cooperative Month

What’s better than pumpkin spice lattes? A whole month devoted to exploring, joining, and celebrating cooperatives, that’s what.

In a world where we’re surrounded on all sides by big business, and large corporations control huge swaths of industries and sectors, it can be empowering to join a cooperative, and to be a part of an alternative business model with people, not simply profits, at its heart. Cooperatives, or co-ops, are member-owned businesses that exist to serve the needs of those members, which can take a variety of different forms, ranging from the well-known food co-ops that sell natural and bulk foods, to housing co-ops, car co-ops, utility and farm co-ops, and more. And October is National Cooperative Month, so it’s a great time to get involved with one near you.

Read more: Celebrate local & democratic ownership during National Co-op Month