Meet Kathryn Loup

Q: What brought you to Watertown, Kathryn?

I had moved to the Boston area in 2010 and lived in several different towns. In 2020 I was looking for a condo and was attracted to Watertown’s mix of shops and restaurants balanced by green space. Since moving here, I’ve been struck by the great sense of community and resources, such as the Watertown Free

Public Library and Mosesian Center for the Arts.

Q: So your interests include reading and attending shows?

That’s true, I read general fiction, mysteries and historical nonfiction and I definitely use my library card (I chose the purple one). Though those organizations offer much more ... pandemic hobby was cross-stitch

and I've attended the monthly Stitch Lounge at the library. In addition to shows, the Mosesian recently held a holiday fair where local artists sold their work, and I found some pretty things for my home.

Like many people, I enjoy food – exploring new cuisines through restaurants, stores and recipes, making old recipes passed down from family, and cooking new favorites that I’ve found on the internet. When I travel I like to visit local grocery stores to see what’s on offer.

Q: How did you come to be on the board of the Charles River Food Co-op?

On a visit to the Watertown Farmer’s Market I stopped by CRFC’s table and learned how they plan to open a store similar to Russo’s that would be community owned. I signed up for the newsletter and last year the Co-op was asking for volunteers, particularly in finance, just as I was looking for more community

involvement.

My grandparents lived in a lovely small town that had thriving local businesses. Over time, those businesses lost sales to larger corporate stores that opened nearby, and found it hard to source goods since vendors preferred working with those corporate stores. Now the small local stores are closed and many things that

people could get easily get right in town are only available a few towns away or by mail order.

So I really like that the Charles River Food Co-op’s mission includes supporting regional producers as well as providing an equitable working environment, building community through food, and making sure environmental considerations are part of how it will operate. Clearly many others feel the same way as

CRFC membership started strong. Less than two years after launching, we’re in stage 2a on the evolution toward becoming a store: exploring feasibility.

Right now, we are looking for people to help with site selection and the

website, and support the co-op by becoming members. I have to give a shout-out to our Marketing committee, they put out great newsletters every month to keep members informed about the co-op and related topics. Folks can learn more about us, sign up for our newsletter, and join, at charlesriverfood.coop