It's Going To Take A Village: How To Be Part of America's Economic Recovery

The fuel, the energy and the life which surges through our country, states and neighborhoods; the people who with determination and resolve built communities out of empty space, raised up buildings which became familiar places and landmarks, and welcomed shoppers turned into friends - these people are right now as I type this facing an unprecedented time of gut-wrenching realities and heartbreaking decisions. These are our neighbors and friends who are now agonizing over the announcement they must make to lay off an entire staff, decide between continuing on and risking a further decline in sales just to keep the business alive for now, or the almost unimaginable choice of simply posting a sign on their front door stating "We've had to temporarily close. We'll see you again soon."

Wherever you are, you can help. I could go on for pages about the need to save the mom & pop establishments, about the sadness of events which unfold a bit deeper and more painfully each day, but I won't waste your time. If you clicked on this blog and cared enough to read it, I implore you to stick with me through these few points and links I want to share with you today. Reading countless articles and stories and hearing the feedback of so many proud business owners, there have been a few statements and examples which stood out from the rest which I've included below. I hope I have the ability to pass them onto you in the best manner possible and to illustrate what we can do, together, because without action our words alone will fail to preserve the legacy and dreams of this nation.


I continue to be humbled and in awe of the strength and dedication displayed by so many small business owners. They are committed to the people they serve and the places they live, and the stories and words I keep seeing are nothing short of inspiring. Remember who cares so fiercely about your community - because when this is all over you will again have choices to make regarding your spending and who you decide to support. As stated so plainly below, "Make sure the businesses you love are here tomorrow". image credit Lowcountry Local First

In this Unprecedented Time of Coronavirus, We Need to be There for Local Businesses | "To emerge from this with our communities strong and intact, we need to ensure that what make them special - our small businesses - stay afloat. It is at this precipitous time that we’re reaching out to implore our communities to offer a strong show of support for their local businesses. Just as we are doing all we can to bring vital news and information to help keep residents safe through this crisis, we feel just as strongly about supporting the local business community." USA Today Network (who's symbol of an icon marking location merged with arms wrapped tightly around it....well, it spoke to me too)

How to Help your Favorite Small Businesses Survive the Coronavirus Crisis | "Work from home. Self-quarantine. Canceled sporting events. Social distancing may help mitigate the coronavirus crisis, but it also threatens to devastate small businesses. While federal, state and local governments will need to step in with financial help and other policy measures, there also are some small ways that individuals, if they have the means, can help their favorite small businesses stay afloat through the crisis." CNN

Okay. I'll admit the image below smacks a bit of cheesiness and the implication that life is all about payback and equality, but it's included here because it illustrates one critical, often-overlooked point of view; without one side of the equation you don't have the other. If not for the loyal hometown businesses which have faithfully donated food for your fundraisers, offered space for car washes and lobby square footage for bake sales, your civic organization or social club may not exist today. It's time to give back to the people and places that made your town.

Stay safe. Shop local. Be Kind, Asks Restaurant Server | "The coronavirus crisis is hitting businesses hard, but none harder than the restaurants and bars that have been forced to close, relying only on drive-through and delivery to stay afloat." Bay Today

20 Ideas to Shop Local Online While Sheltering in Place | These words below hit me hard, because the impact of our current situation is still largely unknown and I don't know how long our small business owners can hold on. Quite honestly, it's going to be some time before anything reopens and gets back to adequate foot traffic, workers returning to nearby office buildings, families once again going out to dinner. The Bold Italic

Kindness + connections still matter. Now is the time to acknowledge and support the people who have been the biggest part of your community because when you do, you lift not just a person or a family, but your entire neighborhood and place you call home. Together, we WILL get through this. Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.

Sincerely,
Andrea Baumann

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