Go.Coop

When asked to describe her motivation for joining a co-op, Ann Chrapkiewicz recalls returning to the U.S. after living and working in Japan. "I suddenly felt very isolated."

Seeking a sense of community, Ann remembered hearing that her stepsister joined a co-op at her college. "But I didn't know what it meant." So she researched online. Within a month, she was moving into a housing cooperative in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and working at the local food co-op. "Without really knowing what I was looking for, I found exactly what I needed," she said. "I value so many perspectives and lifestyles that I probably would not have taken into account before my co-op involvement."