When Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram thinks back at the humble roots of Rawfully Organic Co-op, she finds it hard to believe that it all began with 12 people in her living room.
On Thursday, the collective will take another major step in its growth as an advocate for health through raw, plant-based nutrition. CityCentre will serve as a new, weekly produce pick up location, replacing Nottingham Forest Club as the co-op's west-side gathering spot.
"The opportunity to reach more people is huge for me and for the co-op."
"To me, the more centralized location means more people will benefit from fresh, organic bushels every single week," Carrillo-Bucaram tells CultureMap. "The opportunity to reach more people is huge for me and for the co-op."
The former setting was nearing capacity.
In four years, demand for Rawfully Organic Co-op at Nottingham grew from 40 families to more than 200, a slice of the 600 families and the 10,000 registered members the nonprofit serves through its other locations — at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center on Tuesdays and on Bissonnett between Edloe and Buffalo Speedway on Saturdays — on a weekly basis.
With the benefit of additional space and more parking at CityCentre, Carrillo-Bucaram plans on including more food demonstrations, live music and activities. To accommodate the growing number of members, the co-op will extend its working hours, now set from 4 to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Seasonal, organic fruit and vegetable shares start at $48.75 and may include locally-sourced GMO-free sweet corn, peaches, beets, purple kale, cucumber, pears, pink lady apples and romaine lettuce.
Coming off the launch of a crowdfunding campaign for seed money for FullyRaw Juice, a new venture to craft and distribute cold-pressed, raw juices, Carrillo-Bucaram's glass is surely overflowing with lively goodness.
The co-op will extend its working hours, now set from 4 to 8 p.m. every Thursday at CityCentre.
