Our Thanksgiving Update

Your Lexington Co-op team joined the Martha P. Mitchell Community Center for a third year to help make their Friendsgiving possible: a meal that feeds five thousand people in Buffalo. With help from our community-minded partners at Wardynski’s, we doubled our turkey donation this year to one hundred fresh, all-natural turkeys, for 5,000 meals.

Watch here to get the story of the community center on WIVB.

Now that we’re in our third year, our relationship with the center feels a little more personal. When we walk in, we see familiar faces. We greet each other with hugs and quick catch-ups before the turkeys arrive. 

When the Wardynski truck pulls in, we grab dollies and carts, roll up our sleeves, and start unloading. You can feel that cooperative spirit immediately — people coming together for something bigger than themselves. 

There are moments that make the importance of this center clear. Pastor Al pulls a dolly with one hand while answering a call with the other: “No, we’re out of coats right now. We’re looking for more.” Two seniors arrive and he gently sends a volunteer for eggs. Another volunteer gathers the huge bricks of cheese she’ll use for the macaroni and cheese served at Tuesday’s Friendsgiving Feast. 

The center is a constant flow of people, needs, and care. 

When the turkeys were unloaded, we high-fived, took a breath, and reflected on what it all meant in a time of rising food insecurity. Pastor Al shared a story from a hot dog giveaway where a young boy ate half his hot dog, tucked the rest into his pocket, and said, “I’m taking this home for my sister.” His eyes filled as he told it. It was a powerful reminder of what so many in our community are facing. It stayed with us, we brought it back to our team, and we’re sharing it with you now. 

On Tuesday, we helped serve meals. The parking lot was already full of volunteers, residents, community partners, and people picking up dinners for neighbors and elders. We saw folks from Peaceprints WNY and people from across the neighborhood. The operation was big, coordinated, and full of heart. 

Pastor Al moved nonstop, calling out what was needed and making sure every person was fed with dignity. “I need 75 dinners for Commodore Perry,” he called, and the room shifted immediately — more mac and cheese, more bagged dinners, more rolls. Each meal included turkey, three sides, cranberry sauce, a roll, and dessert — all free. 

We stayed for about two and a half hours before heading back to the Co-op. As we walked out, Pastor Al called out, “We have completed 3,000 dinners!” and the room erupted in applause. It was a moment you feel in your chest. 

This is community. 
And it’s the same care we strive to bring back into our stores. Every day, we’re working to make good food more accessible and affordable for the people who shop with us. 

Right now, we have over 1,000 items on sale across the store — real value you can count on. Through co+op Deals, we’ve expanded our affordable options with Field Day Organics, with five cents from every purchase supporting NATIFS through December 5. 

Our produce team brings in the highest-quality, organic, freshest food we can find at great prices.  

And if you’re a Co-op owner, your Thanksgiving coupons have already hit your mailbox to help make your holiday shop a little easier. Owners receive real value... in savings, and in a role in strengthening the cooperative community. 

We’re committed to offering value and values. To us this means great deals, exceptional quality, and a mission rooted in community. It’s what makes shopping at the Co-op meaningful. 

There’s something else we want you to know; something that goes far beyond our two stores in Buffalo. When you shop at the Lexington Co-op, you’re part of a national network of 167 community-owned grocery co-ops working together through National Co+op Grocers. And that network shows up in powerful ways. 

Across the country, co-ops are mobilizing during this national food insecurity crisis. NCG is contributing $100,000 to support people affected by the SNAP interruption — investing in both immediate hunger relief and long-term policy solutions. 

Together, co-ops donate more than one million pounds of food and over $9 million to community organizations each year. And right now, co-ops are expanding access to affordable staples and contributing five cents from every Field Day purchase to NATIFS in support of Indigenous food sovereignty. 

This is the power of cooperatives. Local stores connected through shared values, taking action together when our communities need it most. 

When you choose the Co-op, you’re part of this work. 
Your support strengthens our ability to show up where we’re needed most — in our stores, in our neighborhoods, and alongside partners like the Martha P. Mitchell Community Center. 

As we head into the holidays, we invite you to lean into the Co-op in whatever way feels right for you. 

If you’re shopping for your Thanksgiving table, choosing the Co-op means choosing fresh, high-quality food from people who genuinely care about this community. If you’re a Co-op owner, your coupons are ready for you. And if you’re not an owner yet, now is a powerful time to join. Ownership is more than a card; it’s a vote for the kind of food system you want to exist. 

And if you want to make a direct impact right now, consider dropping a Field Day Organics item — or a few — into our FeedMore WNY donation bin the next time you’re in. These are high-quality, affordable staples that stretch a long way for families in need, and every Field Day purchase donates five cents to NATIFS this month. 

Thank you for being part of this work, this mission, and this community.