During this holiday season, many of us are on the hunt for “the perfect gift” for loved ones.
Flashy gift guides propose an overwhelming assortment of ideas. Influencers bombard us with recommendations and discount codes. Ads encourage us to act quickly to meet shipping deadlines. Amidst this bustling backdrop, I’m happy to propose that the perfect gift is right around the corner from you – at a local business!
Think about the last time you supported a nonprofit in our region – a youth organization, animal shelter or local sports team. You felt good, right? When we shop locally, we’re giving loved ones a tangible item while capturing the magic of doing good in our communities. It’s a sweeter combination than any doorbuster deal or holiday markdown.
Shopping at local businesses supports our region’s economy. It benefits neighbors who work and live in our communities. And there’s another benefit to keeping our dollars local that often happens behind-the-scenes; local businesses are part of an intrinsic support network for nonprofits.
In my role at The Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center, a small nonprofit based in Antrim, I’ve seen the impact of this support system firsthand. Grassroots fundraising allows The Grapevine to provide free programs for families, individuals, children and teens. From donating items to our online auction to hosting fundraising events, local businesses are some of our best champions.
For the last eight years, Harris Weldon, chef and owner of the Bantam Grill in Peterborough, closes his restaurant on Indigenous Peoples Day to run a Beastmaster Dinner. Community members purchase tickets for the dinner, and all the money raised is donated to The Grapevine.
Bantam Grill has donated over $50,000 to our programs since 2015. This year, it raised more than $7,500 to support programs for local youth at our Avenue A Teen Center. A gift card to Bantam Grill offers a delicious meal at a restaurant that funds programs for local youth. That’s a gift that everyone can feel good about.
Businesses like Bantam Grill go above and beyond to support nonprofits like us, and they do it without the fanfare of bigger companies. Often, their charitable giving goes largely unrecognized, even by those of us who live right around the corner. Data from SCORE, an American network of business mentors, shows that small businesses donate 250 percent more to local nonprofits and community causes than larger businesses.
In addition to monetary gifts, local businesses are often the first to lend a hand when needed. At The Grapevine, we often call Rick Edmunds, one of our board members and owner of Edmunds Ace Hardware in Antrim, when something breaks. Rick helps us with the repair and finds the supplies we need.
When we needed a place to sell poetry anthologies from our “Write Out!” program, The Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough agreed to sell them for us. When people in our community need help, they call The Grapevine. When we need help, we call local businesses.
This holiday season, I encourage you to give the perfect gift, from a local business. Tell your loved ones a story about their gift: “This restaurant supports a local youth organization that provides a free creative writing program for teens. I know you love writing. Enjoy dinner on us.”
Stopping at the business next door is faster than expedited shipping, and shopping locally has a lasting impact on our community.
Jacqueline Roland is director of teen programs at The Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center in Antrim.