If Kokua Market, after 47 years, is forced to close its doors and go the way of Honolulu Weekly and our bookstores, it would be a great community loss (“Kokua Market struggles to stay afloat,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 14).

Kokua is more than a store. It embodies a social aspiration for growing local, sustainably produced food for healthier people and the aina. As a cooperative, it provides a community forum to develop this aspiration. For new producers, it offers shelf space and product feedback, a soft entry to retail.

The cooperative comprises nearly 5,000 people. If each could contribute $100 today, we could save the market and transition to a more sustainable business model. Despite the perfect storm, this crisis is a wake-up call: Kokua’s survival requires our responsibility and active involvement.

Mahalo to those who contributed $10,000 on the spot, but it is time for all of us to step up. Don’t let Kokua go the way of the dinosaurs.

Soo Sun Choe

Palolo

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