Supporting and Building Community

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“Buy local.” That’s not just a meme for grammarians to pick at. It’s a way of connecting a community with its economic lifeblood. We do all we can to promote community spirit, and promoting local businesses is an essential part of that mission.

It’s good to know, isn’t it, that your restaurant dollars go to someone you might meet in the neighborhood or around town. Your engagement with their business helps feed and house their family. That connection encompasses them in strengthening the stability and security that we all want for our lives. Your insurance dollars too, and what you spend for the dentist, handyman, auto repairs… all of it. Then too, the sales tax dollars tied to those transactions go toward our own schools, local services, and public works.

Over the last several months we have been talking with business owners in the local area, and working with them to provide deals, discounts, and special offers for our neighborhood residents.

Remember the Tote Bags?

For years now we have made an annual ritual out of gathering promotional materials from our local business supporters and delivering them to all the neighbors in our familiar green tote bags. Some viewed that as not ecologically sound, and after so many years the idea was getting a little repetitious. “Oh, those again?” We gave it a lot of thought and decided not to keep doing the same old thing.

We changed it up.

Going digital. This weekend we are delivering a fridge magnet, along with a business directory, with a direct line to the collection of deals and discounts. It has a QR code (and a how-to in case it’s new to you). You can use the QR code, or the bit.ly shortcut if you don’t do QR, or when you’re already on our website (yes, this one) you will find them under the menu tab “Selected Business Supporters.”

Our Selected Business Supporters and civic organizations are invested in supporting our community. They are our neighbors. We like the idea that when we patronize these businesses, we make our community friendlier and stronger.

And while we’re on the subject of community…

The annual meeting of the Southern Gables Neighborhood Association will be held at Green Gables Elementary School on Tuesday, May 5 at 7:00 PM. Come at 6:30 to visit with neighbors and have cookies and lemonade before the meeting. Agenda includes Mayor Strom, Police Community Action Team agent Pratt-Cordova, Association annual report, and election of Association officers.