The Co-op Story

The idea for the United Community Services Co-op emerged in January 1998. Two seasoned community practitioners were discussing almost identical reports two different agencies had commissioned for $10,000 each. “By working together, those agencies could have saved resources and created a better
report – each putting in $7,500 for a joint $15,000 study.”

“And that’s the tip of an iceberg: there’s potential for cash pools, bulk purchasing, and collaborations on research, innovation, and sector-wide initiatives.”

So they kept talking – and discovered among forward-thinking colleagues a real interest in creating a mechanism to support collaborations and collective solutions.

Since that time, “Finding Cooperative Solutions”, and “Better Together” have been tag phrases summarizing the essence of the United Community Services Co-op: A mechanism for supporting community-based organizations in BC to collaborate where there is public good from their joint action.