Kay Gregory, a Pioneer Valley famous hairdresser, has had an extraordinary life. Before she opened If Wishes Were Horses Salon in Amherst she studied art and French in Paris, received a Masters in Library and Information Studies, worked as the library director for the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, received a horticulture degree from the New York Botanical Garden, and ran two highly successful salons in Northampton.
Throughout all of this, she has maintained a commitment to community businesses and local, sustainable foods. As she puts it, “It just seems natural that your food should come from the community that you live in.” Because of this commitment, Kay became a member owner of the Common Share Food Co-op and decided to donate a gift card for $75 in Aveda products for the Co-op’s monthly drawings to encourage membership.
In a recent interview she explained her reasons for supporting the Co-op, stating that,
“I think when people buy locally and support local businesses like a co-op, it really strengthens the fabric of the community because you’re all invested in this great thing. We live in politically tumultuous times, and I think a lot of us feel that we don’t have a voice in Washington, but we really do have a voice locally, and I feel that because it’s a crazy world right now, if we can at least control what we’re eating and buying because we have a co-op in our community I think that will make a huge difference. We do have power and sometimes I think we forget that because it’s a little bit like a circus sometimes in Washington.”
When asked what words she would have for someone who wasn’t sure about becoming a member owner of the Co-op, she remarked, “If you’re on the fence about joining, it’s important to remember that this will strengthen the community and that’s always a good thing, never a bad thing. It will have a positive impact on our lives, and If you’re on the fence, get off the fence!
We’re grateful to Kay for her support of the Common Share Food Co-op and her enduring commitment to community resilience and healthy fresh foods. Join Kay and all of our other wonderful supporters by becoming a member-owner today and supporting our community!
Article written by Lauren Phillips-Jackson, Common Share Food Co-op’s Community Engagement and Communications Intern