Volunteer Of The Month Shelia Keleher

If you’ve ever noticed copies of the Co-op Connection in the racks of a coffeeshop, you have Sheila Keleher to thank. Every month, Sheila organizes a dedicated band of volunteers to distribute thousands of newsletters to over 75 locations around the city. This effort has been a great tool for introducing the Co-op to people in all parts of town, and letting lots of people have access to the wonderful articles and information in our newsletter.

Sheila is a transplant from the Midwest. She attended school in Madison, and it was there that she first became involved with co-ops. A well-rooted transplant, Sheila has lived in Albuquerque for 15 years. She taught school for a number of years and is now taking some time off to raise her 5-year-old daughter and do some tutoring, but is planning to go back to full-time teaching soon. Sheila started volunteering because she has a strong belief in co-ops and the philosophy of cooperatives. She thought, as a member with extra time, that she would like to give something back to the cooperative movement.

When Tracy Brown, who initiated the newsletter distribution program, was elected to the Board of Directors, Sheila moved in to take on the work of organizing the distribution and has been getting out the word ever since: come rain, sun, snow, sleet, or broken-down cars and malfunctioning answering machines. Thanks, Sheila!