Updates for the Marsh River Cooperative 03/25/2020

Dear Marsh River Co-op Community Members,

During this uncertain time, we want you, our employees, volunteers, and community, to know that the Marsh River Co-op is doing all that we can to stay open and available during the days, weeks, and months ahead as the reality of life with COVID-19 unfolds.
As of this writing the MRC will continue to have our doors open to the community. Effective March 27^th, we will temporarily be changing our hours of operation to 10:00am – 5:00pm daily to allow for additional cleaning time and reduce the workload on our hardworking staff & volunteers. We will be continually evaluating whether we will continue to allow the public into the Co-op space and we may in future decide to move to curbside only.
We are currently working on a curbside pickup option for folks in the area and we hope to have that up and running by next week at the latest. We will keep everyone updated as we proceed with this method of shopping. If in the interim you are not comfortable coming into the Co-op please give us a call at (207)722-3053 and we will see if we can make individual arrangements for the time being. We apologize we wont be able to roll this out sooner but we are making it up as we go along just like everyone else.
We are regularly cleaning and sanitizing carts, baskets, and other surfaces. Our volunteers and staff are equipped with a mild bleach solution and are sanitizing the register area on a regular basis.
We are also creating a monitored self checkout lane (were the Co-op info Kiosk currently is) with a scale, barcode scanner and contactless payment reader. Our cashiers/volunteers will still be able to advise you on your checkout experience but we are trying to increase the distance between them and customers so as to reduce the risk of infection so that we can continue to remain open and ensure their safety.
To keep the Co-op accessible to all while protecting one another in the process, we expect the following from our customers:

• Do not come into the Co-op if you are exhibiting any cold or flu-like symptoms including: low grade fever, cough, and/or difficulty breathing

• Sanitize your hands before entering the Co-op
• Do not touch other people in the Co-op; respect people’s personal space by maintaining a six foot distance from each other whenever possible
• Only touch products that you intend to buy
• Do not linger in the store any longer than necessary
• If possible, use electronic payment options including credit, debit or contactless payment. We may in future need to go completely cashless.
• We reserve the right to limit the number of people in the store at one time; you may be asked to wait outside
• We ask that you allow our staff or volunteers to fill your bulk containers for you.
• If you or someone in your household has recently traveled to this region please do not come into the Co-op until the recommended CDC guideline of 14 day self quarantine has passed.

Signs will be going up around the store to emphasize these expectations.

In an effort to support our community in every way we can, the Co-op will continue to act as an internet café, specifically for those folks who don’t have internet at home. We will arrange our seating in such a way as to emphasize social distancing. We request that you limit the people at the tables to those in your immediate household, that you be mindful of the amount of time you spend in the Co-op, and that you sanitize your table when you are done. We reserve the right to ask you to leave the Co-op if we feel you are not meeting these expectations.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and understanding during these challenging times. Thank you for continuing to support your community’s Co-op. Please reach out with any questions or concerns at marshrivercooperative@gmail.com or (207) 722-3053, and we will address them in as timely a manner as we are able.