This year there are eight (8) organizations competing for two (2) Bring-A-Bag Fund recipient slots for our 2025–2026 cycle. The Bring-a-Bag Fund is one way Keweenaw Co+op gives back to our community and promotes the conservation of natural resources at the same time. Every time a shopper brings their own reusable shopping bag or basket instead of using a new paper bag (provided by the co-op), the campaign fund is credited for each bag saved. The savings in the campaign fund are donated in six-month cycles to a local organization, group, or project selected by the co-op owners. Two recipients are selected each year.
You may select up to 2 organizations from the list below.
Click on the dropdown arrows to read more about each organization.
Baraga County Shelter Home
Baraga County Shelter Home Website
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
Domestic violence is a major community health problem that affects nearly everyone, especially in extremely rural areas like the western U.P. Being the recipient of donations such as the Bring-a-Bag Donation program allow us to continue to provide and enhance our comprehensive services, allow for improvements to our 24/7/365 emergency shelter home, and provide direct financial assistance to those fleeing and recovering from domestic violence. We appreciate being considered.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
The mission of Baraga County Shelter Home (BCSH) is to promote healing, hope and empowerment with survivors of domestic violence while advocating for change in our community. BCSH primarily services victims of intimate partner violence in Baraga County and surrounding areas, with services available to any victim, regardless of identity.
We operate under the core values of empowerment and inclusivity, providing survivor-centered and empowerment-based wraparound domestic violence services. In addition to a 24/7 crisis line and emergency shelter, we provide legal and housing advocacy services, financial assistance, supportive services and personal advocacy, and referrals to community partners that can help our clients move towards safety and healing. Residential and non-residential clients are assisted daily with developing safety plans and increasing safety in the home, applying for personal protection orders, court accompaniments, finding employment or housing, and much more.
Additionally, BCSH is committed to change in our community through increasing awareness of Intimate Partner Violence and the effects of trauma on survivors and their children, educating our community partners on trauma-informed best practices, and collaborating on prevention to stop the cycle of violence.
Copper Country Recycling Initiative
Copper Country Recycling Initiative Website
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
We would like to provide training for our volunteers, which could include attending regional recycling conferences. Host educational workshops quarterly. Support the State statute, part 115 (updating solid waste plans to include recycling) planning process. Support recycling at the county’s materials management station. Increase options for household hazardous waste collection opportunities. We plan to offer a CFL bulb collection soon. We feel our primary benefit to the community is through education and advocacy. We appreciate your consideration.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
The Copper Country Recycling Initiative works to promote the sustainable use of materials and advance a circular economy by decreasing consumption and reducing reliance on landfills by reusing, recycling and composting. We are dedicated to supporting environmental stewardship, education, and collaborative action with government partners. We engage with government officials and business communities by offering educational resources and expert advice, enabling informed decision-making. For the residents of the Copper Country, we provide education, resources, and a platform to advocate for a more sustainable future.
Dan Schmitt Gift of Music
Dan Schmitt Gift of Music Website
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
Funds will be used to pay our music instructors a very good wage and to support our annual recital at the Calumet Theatre. We bring students out to the farm from Hancock High School and Calumet Public Schools for various workshops. Funds will be used to support this as well.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
Our mission is to provide youth with free instruments and music lessons, after-school music programming and outdoor education opportunities emphasizing food independence, environmental sustainability and a connection to the natural world.
Finnish American Folk School
Finnish American Folk School Website
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
Funds from Bring-a-Bag would help to fund our public events, allowing us to expand the high-quality programming that we are able to offer at free or discounted rates while also compensating our instructors fairly. Crafting, music, and dance are at the heart of what we do at the Finnish American Folk School. These activities are proven to have positive impacts on individual mental health and community well-being. Many of our students and instructors report how important our work is to their health and happiness, and this funding would help to make that accessible to even more people in our community.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
The Finnish American Folk School (FAFS) was founded in 2017 to promote Finnish folk arts and traditional skills and ensure that they thrive for generations to come. Folk School programming focuses on learning and creating in community with others. Through cultural programming in music, dance, language, woodworking, ceramics, and fiber arts, we seek to bring people together.
The Folk School is a project of Finlandia Foundation National, a non-profit cultural organization enabling people of all backgrounds to share in the traditions, values, and spirit of Finland and Finnish America.
Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association
Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association Website
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
These funds would help to provide free publications, such as the park newspapers and various informational pamphlets, for distribution to park visitors and potential visitors.
We feel, if chosen, that these funds would help to bring awareness and appreciation of the rich cultural and natural history of Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula. We feel that by doing this that not only local residence, but those visiting the Keweenaw will gain a sense of wonder and connection to these two parks. And, by doing this, developing an emotional connection that results in helping to preserve these special places.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
IRKPA, in association with the National Park Service, promotes an understanding of, appreciation for, and enjoyment of Isle Royale National Park and Keweenaw Historical Park. By educating the public about these parks, we help to protect and preserve them for future generations.
Kaleidoscope: Keweenaw Alternative Education Organization
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
Kaleidoscope has always worked to keep programming affordable for local families and offers scholarships when possible. Bring-a-bag funds would help keep Drama camp, summer classes, and after-school classes affordable, and would allow us to offer more scholarships.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
Kaleidoscope’s Mission is to provide holistic support and engaging learning experiences to families through classes, virtual options, and community events. Kaleidoscope was founded in 2019 by a group of parents with the belief that all families should have a say in their children’s educational options. Kaleidoscope provides educational resources to the community and collaborates with homeschooling and traditional schooling families to connect them to educational opportunities that match their needs. Kaleidoscope offers virtual electives, in-person classes, and many other events and programs that are open to all members of the community. This includes Drama Camp, summer classes, and after-school classes. Target areas for expansion are after-school and summer programming, which are both in high demand in the local community.
Phoenix House
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
We have funding for basic operation and staffing costs. It continuously falls short of the true cost of providing services, maintaining our facilities, and really giving the best experience we can for our clients. Any donations are used for core services and support, and nothing goes to administrative or overhead costs. We get the money to where it does the most good for our clients and community.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
Vision:
“The Phoenix House will always provide comprehensive services for substance related problems that impact the individual, family, and community and through such provision will be the central resource for substance related issues”.
Mission:
The Phoenix House believes that abstinence from drugs and alcohol and abstinence based recovery provide the best opportunity to overcome addiction, and to develop the mind, body, and spirit. Through evidence based practices for addiction services and other behavioral health issues, we strive to enhance the lives of the individual, family, and community.
Residential:
Phoenix House Inc. provides both men’s residential short term and men’s residential long term substance abuse treatment. Typical lengths of stay vary according to consumer need and referral source stipulations. Phoenix House Inc. is a licensed facility by the Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry and is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Phoenix House Inc. provides residential services to male residents 18 years and older, targeting residents of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Phoenix House Inc. also accepts referrals from other regions through contractual relationships and self-pay ability.
Outpatient:
Phoenix House Inc. provides outpatient substance abuse treatment to men, women and adolescents of Houghton, Keweenaw, Ontonagon, and Gogebic Counties. Phoenix House Inc. is a licensed facility by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
Outpatient services are designed for consumers that can address the substance related problem, while continuing to function in their current living environment. Outpatient consumers typically have less severe symptoms in the area of degree of substance abuse problem, biomedical conditions or complications, behavior or emotional issues, and recovery environment. Outpatient services consist of individual sessions and group sessions.
Phoenix House outpatient staff use cognitive therapy in the outpatient substance abuse setting to assist consumers in challenging negative thoughts and maladaptive beliefs about themselves and the world around them. Through cognitive therapy, consumers gain an awareness of where their desire to use substances comes from, the consequences that they are experiencing, and alternatives to this lifestyle.
Unite UP – Unite Mental Health & Wellness
Unite Mental Health & Wellness Website
Explain how funds from Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would support your work and why your cause should be chosen.
Funds from the Keweenaw Co+op’s Bring-a-Bag Donation Program would directly support Unite UP’s community-based mental health initiatives. Specifically, these funds would be used to:
Provide financial assistance for therapy sessions to individuals and families who may not otherwise afford care.
Expand our community outreach programs, including mental health workshops, support groups, and educational resources.
Enhance training for our therapists to ensure the highest quality, evidence-based care is available to all clients.
Develop resources and materials to promote mental wellness and reduce stigma in Houghton, Keweenaw, Ontonagon, Baraga, and Gogebic Counties.
Unite UP should be chosen for this funding because mental health is a critical component of overall well-being, and access to care remains a significant challenge in our region. By supporting Unite UP, Keweenaw Co+op will be directly contributing to the well-being of our community, ensuring that mental health services remain available and accessible to those in need. With the rising demand for mental health support, every dollar raised through this program will go toward making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families in our area.
Please share your organization’s mission, including its goals and impact on the community.
Unite UP is a community-centered mental health practice dedicated to providing accessible, compassionate, and evidence-based mental health care to individuals and families in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Our mission is to support and empower individuals of all ages through therapy, education, and community partnerships. We focus on bridging gaps in mental health care, particularly for underserved populations, ensuring that everyone has access to the support they need to thrive.
Our goals include:
Expanding access to mental health services for children, families, and individuals in rural communities.
Providing specialized programs, including infant mental health services, trauma-informed care, and family therapy.
Partnering with local organizations to create holistic support networks.
Reducing stigma around mental health and increasing awareness through community outreach and education.
Through our work, we have positively impacted the lives of many in our community by offering crucial mental health support that fosters resilience, well-being, and long-term success.