Since our last issue, the Northside Planning Council has added two more board members, Patricia Butler and Eli Woyke. Welcome, and thanks for stepping up.

In 2004, when we were without a grocery store, the industry standard was that for every $1 of product sold, 10 cents goes to employees. At the time, the Willy Street Co-op had earmarked more than 20 cents on the dollar for employees because they value the people who work to make the store successful. Recently, I picked up a jobs brochure from our new grocer. Their entry-level starting wage is over $10 per hour. The Co-op also offers employees benefits like health insurance, retirement, vacation, sick leave, a 20 percent discount on purchases, and more. I believe the Willy Street Co-op will be a good partner within our community. And I think Willy North employees will be able to afford to live in the community where they work.

But what does it mean to earn a living wage? When I ask that question, I usually get an answer like, “A paycheck large enough that you can afford a roof over your head, decent food to eat, and a visit to the doctor if you need it.” And from a practical point of view, that’s accurate. But it’s an incomplete answer at best. It focuses on the surface, missing the broader benefit.

A living wage means we accept you. We want you to keep doing your job. Your time is valuable. You are valuable. You are a member of the community and you are worth keeping around — so much so that we are willing to pay you at least enough to live on. A living wage means dignity and inclusion. And for a neighbor who has spent years bent under the weight of our collective neglect, finally earning a living wage means not just food for the body, but food for the soul.