About the Koop
The Kootenay Boundary Community Services Co-operative’s mission is to work together to strengthen the capacity of each member agency through cooperation and collaboration nurtured in a spirit of mutual support and respect.
Our Principles
Co-operatives are founded on a common idea – that people, no matter what their economic class or educational level, know what’s best for them. Through cooperation, people work together to meet their common needs. As a Co-operative, the Koop operates according to the principles of voluntary and open membership, concern for community, and member control and participation.
Our Values
Our values are the foundational declarations which ground the work of the Koop.
At the Koop, we believe:
People of the community are best positioned to make decisions about their community.
Decisions are best achieved through information sharing and cooperative decision-making.
Consensus is the best way to make decisions.
At the Koop, we are committed to:
A fair and equitable work environment for our team and our member agencies.
An organizational culture of respect, mutual trust, and proactive consultation.
Equitable core services distributed among communities.
Responsibility to our members, to the communities and to our partners.
At the Koop, we hold high standards:
Professional ethics, competence, and integrity
Respect for rights and differences
Safety and confidentiality
Empowerment of individuals and respect for their choices
Integration and holism
Social responsibility
Promotion of social change and enhancement of community capacity
Our vision is to foster a community of thriving social service agencies improving the lives of people in the Kootenay Boundary Region.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Co-operative is to pursue, deliver, and coordinate resources and services provided by and for its members. The Kootenay Boundary Community Services Co-operative will:
Provide a regional community-based forum for planning, pursuing, and distributing community, social, and health service resources;
Help maintain and support member organizations in the face of challenges;
Offer a range of alternatives for providing community, social, and health services;
Serve as a platform for the development of organizationally efficient and effective practices;
History of the Koop
The Kootenay Boundary Community Services Co-operative (Koop) was born out of discussions among leaders of community service agencies in 2001 as they addressed the challenges of imminent funding reductions and the tendering of government contracts in larger regional pieces through the BCBid mechanism. These leaders were looking for a strategy that would facilitate cooperation among the organizations of the region, yet maintain community-based decision-making regarding services to communities of all sizes in the region. The group decided to pursue the formation of a co-operative as a cornerstone of this collaborative strategy.
The Koop was incorporated in 2003 and was created to:
- Support local member organizations
- Offer flexibility in organizational response to opportunities
- Serve as platform for the development of organizational quality
- Strengthen the capacity of members to improve social well-being in the Kootenay Boundary region.
The Koop is unique in its structure and provides an innovative approach to the development of community service supports and resources.
