The Delridge Produce Cooperative board is about to take the next step toward potentially running a food store in the future Delridge Supportive Housing building: Next week, it’s expecting to submit a Memorandum of Understanding to DESC. That was one headline from Monday night’s DPC meeting at Delridge Library. Representing the co-op were board members Ariana Rose Taylor-Stanley and Ranette Iding; they were careful to say that the MOU is not a lease, nor a guarantee of one, but it will enable architects to move forward with planning the development of the ground-floor commercial space they’re likely to occupy in the building. DPC is hoping to find a community volunteer who can help them with the MOU.

Finding people to help with the many tasks of preparing for a retail operation was a big topic. Half a dozen community members had shown up by about midway through the meeting, and several signed up for volunteer positions. Outreach and website work is important right now, according to the DPC board, as well as community fundraisers, and representing DPC at events such as this Saturday’s Gathering of Neighbors.

Board members, meantime, are meeting with a Highline Community College instructor to work on a business plan and feasibility study, both brought up by the Delridge Supportive Housing Advisory Committee at its meeting last Thursday. Board members reviewed the document they had received with “community recommendations for tenant selection,” listing criteria including responsiveness and sensitivity to a variety of neighborhood factors, hiring from within the neighborhood, pricing products “based on thorough review of actual income levels of residents.”

Still plenty of time and ways to get involved with the DPC; their regular meeting date will be the third Monday of the month, Delridge Library (Delridge/Brandon), 6:30 pm.