VOLTS is a new nonprofit that grew out of the success of ChiFresh to build a broader cooperative ecosystem led by and serving formerly incarcerated Black women. After experiencing how the ChiFresh model created stability, ownership, and community impact, we recognized the need for a structure and space to replicate and expand that work.

In 2023, ChiFresh and its partners received a transformative grant from the JPMC Advancing Cities challenge to build that infrastructure.

VOLTS now provides the foundation to launch new worker and housing cooperatives and the shared systems—like business support, operations, and financing—that help them grow and thrive.

To learn more, read the History of VOLTS.

A cooperative, or co-op, is a business or organization that’s owned and governed by the people who use it—whether they’re workers, residents, or community members. Instead of maximizing profit for outside investors, co-ops prioritize meeting the shared needs of their members and community.

At VOLTS, we focus on worker cooperatives and housing cooperatives. Worker cooperatives are businesses owned and managed by the workers themselves, who share in profits and decisions about how the business operates. Housing cooperatives are collectively owned homes where residents share responsibility and decision-making, ensuring stable, affordable housing without relying on absentee landlords.

These models build community ownership, stability, and economic power for formerly incarcerated women and their families.

The VOLTS ecosystem currently includes three worker cooperatives and one housing cooperative.

ChiFresh Kitchen is a food service business providing freshly made meals to some of Chicago’s largest institutions.

CrossTreats is a food manufacturing co-op whose flagship product, Mo’Mo Bites, features crustless sandwiches filled with homemade fruit fillings and nut-free protein.

The Handlers Cooperative is a property management company serving commercial and residential buildings across the Chicagoland area.

Jumpstart Housing Cooperative is a multi-site housing co-op with nine units across two buildings.

Together, these cooperatives form the roots of a growing ecosystem grounded in self-determination and community care.

VOLTS is a nonprofit because our role is to build and sustain the shared infrastructure—like training, back-office systems, and startup support—that allows community-owned businesses to succeed. Our goal isn’t profit; it’s building power, stability, and ownership in the hands of people most excluded from traditional economic systems. 

Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, organizations are considered charitable if they are operated “exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes” (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)). The IRS has long recognized that activities which relieve the poor and distressed or the underprivileged, combat community deterioration, and lessen the burdens of government qualify as charitable (see Rev. Rul. 76-419, 1976-2 C.B. 146; Rev. Rul. 67-138, 1967-1 C.B. 129).

VOLTS meets these standards by developing and supporting worker and housing cooperatives that provide employment, affordable housing, and economic stability for formerly incarcerated individuals—particularly Black women—who face systemic barriers to opportunity. By providing shared infrastructure, technical assistance, and training to these community-owned enterprises, VOLTS relieves poverty, combats community deterioration, and advances public benefit rather than private interest, consistent with the requirements of Treas. Reg. § 1.501(c)(3)-1(d)(2).

VOLTS uses a three-phase model that helps members move from training to cooperative launch and long-term sustainability.

Phase 1: Training & Skill Development — Members complete about 100 hours of training in cooperative principles, governance, business management, and industry-specific skills, preparing them for ownership.

Phase 2: Business Launch & Systems Development — We walk alongside new cooperatives to build their foundations, from business registration and payroll to marketing, operations, and finances—structured around five key areas: revenue, finances, operations, administration, and culture.

Phase 3: Ongoing Mentorship & Leadership Development — Once launched, cooperatives continue to receive mentorship through committees co-led by members and VOLTS staff, gradually transitioning to full self-management and long-term success.

Through this process, VOLTS ensures that each cooperative grows the knowledge, systems, and shared leadership needed for lasting community ownership.

We recruit through trusted relationships and community partnerships. VOLTS works closely with the Women’s Justice Institute, our current co-op members, and transitional homes like Grace House to reach women coming home from incarceration. Most of our members hear about opportunities through word of mouth—reflecting the trust and connection at the heart of our ecosystem.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a member of one of our co-ops, please fill out this interest form!

Real estate is central to VOLTS’ vision of building lasting community ownership and economic self-determination. By purchasing and developing property, we stabilize costs for our worker co-ops, create pathways to wealth for housing co-op members, and revitalize the neighborhoods where we work. VOLTS currently owns six buildings: two residential buildings with nine housing units, and four commercial properties that together total 28,000 square feet of space—including the headquarters for ChiFresh Kitchen, CrossTreats’ upcoming manufacturing facility, the VOLTS office, and a new site being developed into a retail community market and “Everything Library.” Through these investments, we’re transforming vacant or underused spaces into vibrant, cooperative community assets.