New Staff Members on the Shop Floor

• Dianne Fogarty: Consumer Power!

I've been living in Maleny for over 10 years with my daughter Charlotte, the last four years also with my partner Tony Cleaton. While I'm now working at the Co-op when I'm needed, I also teach art at a Sunshine Coast school, and when I first came to town I was involved with the Flexi School. My interests and hobbies include the arts, gardening and social sports.

The best thing about working at the Co-op, other than working with our great team, is that our members and customers take their choices seriously as consumers. The questions I have to field range from "Is that locally grown? ", "Is that 100% organic? " and "Is that produced in Australia? " to "Do you have any yellow [anti-Woolworths] stickers? ", "Would you like all my plastic bags? " and "Do you know where I could source a vanilla plant?"

While endeavouring to assist, I'm learning a whole lot about how any purchase you make has many follow-on effects. This makes working at the Co-op a liberating as well as an educative experience with a steep learning curve. Plus, there's the reward of the 70% cocoa organic dark chocolate...!

• Chantelle Reid: All That's Good For You!

My name is Chantelle Reid, I'm 19 years old and I've recently taken up residence (again!) in Maleny. For the past three years I've been living away from home in Brisbane. In that time, I completed my Diploma in Hospitality Management and have been working in the industry up until recently.
Hospitality hours tend to take up a lot of your time, but when I had a few moments to spare I liked to read, listen to music, play guitar or sit down with a good bottle of wine and chat – as I still do.

The last time I was in Maleny I worked as a waitress at Cappriccio's restaurant and was a student at the Booroobin Sudbury School. I've completed a short course in Shiatsu massage and have always had a strong interest in natural medicine, but I've yet to further my studies in this area.
It's a privilege to be working somewhere like the Co-op. You're surrounded by all that's good for you – and organic!

[From "Maple Street Co-op News", December 2006/January 2007; published by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.co-op@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]