The document discusses how the worker-owned cooperative Caring Home Services builds trust in the community. It finds that Caring Home Services creates trust through democratic member control and concern for the community, as outlined in cooperative principles. Members reported increased self-confidence, interactions, and trust among themselves, clients, and professionals through the cooperative. Caring Home Services engages in activities like mentorship, training, meetings, volunteering and social events to strengthen relationships and build social capital in the community.

1. Building Community Trust
Trough Cooperatives:
The case of Caring Home Services
Wilson Majee, PhD
University of Missouri Extension
Northwest Region
102 S. Broadway
Princeton, MO 64673
Tel: 660-748-3315
Email: majeew@missouri.edu
WEB: extension.missouri.edu

2. Building Community Trust
Why the fuss about building community trust?

3. SOCIAL CAPITAL INDICATORS
Trust
stronger communities are
built on trust, participation
Participation/ and networking.
Engagement
Networks/Connections

4. The Power of Trust

5. So what matters? Organizations that build trust:
Cooperatives
 Principles and values
 Voluntary and Open Membership
 Democratic Member Control
 Cooperation Among Cooperatives
 Education, Training and Information
 Concern for community
 Member Economic Participation
 Autonomy and Independence

6. Research Question
How do worker-owned cooperatives create TRUST?
 When cooperatives create TRUST, how do they do it?
Assuming cooperatives create trust, worker-owned cooperatives provide
the greatest opportunity for the creation of trust and enhancement of
community stability.

7. Research Design
 Qualitative Design:
 Case Study : Caring Home Services, a worker-owned
cooperative
 83 member owners
 Established in 1991
 Case Qualifiers:
 Less than 10 yrs old
 Successful
 Operating in a rural area
 Employees or members are low to moderate income people

8. Data Collection
 In-depth Interviews:
 22 members, 10 professionals and 5 clients.
 Survey: 27 members
 Document Analysis: Business Plan, Bylaws,
Newspapers, Newsletters, Reports and Minutes.

9. Data Analysis
FINDINGS

10. Findings
They [doctors] were going to put
me in a nursing home and she
[Smith] came to my house to
help. She said, ‘do not worry,
you do not have to give me
money, you are my friend,
friends do not pay each other.
(Interview with caregiver,
August 30, 2006).

11. Findings
“I do see them out in the community telling people
that they work for Caring Home Services. It has
been fun to watch their transition…. I believe it
[the cooperative] has boosted their self-esteem and
their confidence enormously. They have all
learned a great deal about the day to day
operations of a business....It’s not just me it’s now
us, I see that just in their body language. They
walk taller, they have pride in what they are
doing, they are able to verbalize”
(Interview with a professional, May 10, 2006).

12. Findings
One client, a young quadriplegic woman,
described her caregivers as “girls” who are
“dependable” and “great”. “I never worry
about anything” she added (Interview with
client, June 14, 2006).

13. Findings
 Members felt they were enjoying increased:
 self-confidence (20 of 22 members, all profs)
 member/client/professional/community interaction (all
interviewees)
 trust among them, with professionals and their clients (18 of 22
members)
 skills (leadership, organizational, punctuality) which improve
their employability within and outside the co-op (17 of 22
members)

14. Summary
Mentorship
Training
Annual meetings
Newsletter
Conferences/workshops
Community volunteerism
Member/client picnics
Task committees

15. Live. And Learn.