Member Profiles & Successes

Quick Stuff Food Co-op: A Store Run by Mental Illness Survivors

Joan Burnett remembers the days when she was too depressed and anxious to do anything but stay home. Over 30 years ago, while raising her children, she was diagnosed with a mental illness. Then five years ago, her doctor referred her to Connections Clubhouse, a psychosocial rehabilitation centre for people with mental illness. "I got to know I wasn't alone," says Ms. Burnett. Last year she became a member of Quick Stuff Food Co-op Ltd and works two shifts a week in the Halifax store. "It's really built up my self-esteem-it makes me feel like a part of the community," she says. Working with Quick Stuff has also made her more interested in her appearance and more assertive in speaking up when she has something to say.

The Quick Stuff Food Co-op in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is more than a place to pick up a few groceries. It's a place where co-op members, who are mental health consumers, can earn extra money, build their employment skills and confidence, and contribute to the community and the economy. "We call it 'our store'," says Ms. Burnett. Quick Stuff is a partnership between Connections Clubhouse, in Halifax, and New Beginnings Clubhouse, in Dartmouth. Both are psychosocial rehabilitation facilities for people with long-term mental illnesses. With the support of the Metro Regional Housing Authority, the co-op operates two stores, one in Alderney Manor, in Dartmouth, and the other in Sunrise Manor, in Halifax. Its customers are the tenants of the two apartment complexes, most of whom are seniors.

The Quick Stuff store in Halifax is the newer of the two, and is located in what was once a one-bedroom apartment in the Sunrise Manor complex. It sells a wide range of products, from snacks like chips and pop to canned goods, cereal, bread, toiletries, pet food, cleaning agents, and cigarettes. Open from 1 to 2:30 pm weekdays, the store is staffed by members of Quick Stuff, who earn $6 an hour for their work. Since opening last June, the Halifax store has managed to break even, and that's good enough for Gene Frampton, who works with Connections Clubhouse to support the co-op and foster the development of new ones. "The philosophy of the co-operative is to make enough money to pay the employees," he says, noting that employment opportunities, not profit, is the motive. Mr. Frampton has more than 10 years experience with co-op development as the general manager of Halifax Regional Development Agency and before that with the Community Development Co-operative, but this is the first time he's worked with a co-op run and owned by mental health consumers. He sees his role as offering support in the early phases of the co-op's development, with the aim being to move toward full ownership of the co-op by its employees. At the present time, he and other Clubhouse staff are involved in the ordering and transporting of stock, but that may change as the co-op grows.

The Halifax store has six employee-members, including clerks, a cleaner, and a bookkeeper. The clerks work alone, opening the store, stocking the shelves, working the cash register, tallying customers' credit, and closing the store at the end of their shift. Ms. Burnett, who used to work at a donut shop, says "It's not as demanding working for Quick Stuff...it's quite laid back here." Clerk Raymond MacNeil and bookkeeper James MacPhee agree. It's "less work, less responsibility" than his former cleaning job, says Mr. MacNeil, and Mr. MacPhee maintains, "It's not as much pressure" as his last job as a grocery store clerk.

Stress can be a triggering factor for mental illness so the fact that Quick Stuff is more of a supportive environment than most workplaces makes it a healthier choice for its members. If one of them is not feeling up to working one day, someone else can usually be found to fill in. It's also tailored for people who are not ready to work fulltime. Quick Stuff employee-members apply and are interviewed for their positions by clubhouse staff, who are also members of the co-op. Anyone who's hired becomes a member of the co-op. All Quick Stuff members from the Halifax and Dartmouth stores meet monthly to discuss any issues that may arise. The philosophy of the co-operative is to make enough money to pay the employees. Employment opportunities, not profit, is the motive.

Although Quick Stuff employees say a big part of the reason they enjoy their work is the people they meet at Sunrise and Alderney Manor, one of the challenges they have is dealing with customers who can be "persistent" when it comes to going over their credit limit, says Ms. Burnett. Although they undergo time- and labour-intensive training, Quick Stuff members do not learn specifically how to deal with difficult customers. Ms. Burnett says she does her best to handle situations diplomatically but she sometimes has to fall back on Clubhouse staff members like Mr. Frampton. In the future, Mr. Frampton says, Quick Stuff members will have to set some policies on who can become a member of the co-op and to determine the direction of its growth. He's currently working with some Connections Clubhouse members who are interested in forming a book-keeping co-operative. "The co-op is a very good fit with the clubhouse model," says Mr. Frampton. "The idea is to support Clubhouse members in what they want to do...the co-op is a structural tool to help them do what they want."

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