Moore-Hemann

I wanted to spend this month talking about the chamber’s most recent push: the Support Local Task Force. I know, I know. What a stupidly boring name. That name does not sound exciting. The conversations really are, though, and so far, we’ve had phenomenal turnout, even with “Zoom fatigue” being an actual thing.

I see a lot of overlap in faces from other organizations, but the people who attend have great ideas and a true passion for the region. It’s almost like they all live here and have a vested interest in the local economy, right? I definitely want to see more shoppers and business owners get involved, but, hey, I’m also happy with who we have right now, too.

Sometimes during these meetings, I do feel a little guilty. And, I’ll admit, for good reason. Sometimes I do shop online. Sometimes I enjoy getting out of the valley for shopping, dining and plainly and simply, for a change of scenery. The concept of “supporting local” just never seemed as important as getting exactly what I wanted or needed. Fast forward to today, 2-1/2 years into chamber life, and supporting our local businesses and our local economy has become increasingly important to me.

Why? Obviously, part of it is because our members are what help make my job and work possible. They trust me enough to invest in me (apparently I’ve been in this position long enough to assume I’m synonymous with the chamber). But also, I don’t know, because I know our members and businesses are friends and neighbors. They are the ones who truly make our community what it is.

I love living in this valley. I love personally knowing so many business owners — how special it is to call some of them friends, watching them develop, have families, grow. I love who the businesses employ and seeing them whenever I’m out and about. I guess, maybe, it’s the people to whom I’ve become deeply committed.

So, ask yourself, are there ways you could shift your habits to support locally? And, if you don’t get something locally, why not? Call your local chamber office and let me know. Literally. Call me and have this conversation with me.

I recently received a call from a lady in Olympia, Washington, who shared some of her experiences with me about a recent trip to Union County for work. If someone from the other side of another state can call me, so can you. Or just stop by — anyone who knows me knows I love chatting. She provided fascinating, excellent feedback. We visited for about half an hour, and it was quite inspiring. Not all of her experiences were stellar, but she did love the beauty of the area and wanted to share to make it better.

That’s really what the Support Local Task Force is all about — looking at what we currently have and finding ways we can empower residents and businesses to continually increase support for one another. To make things here better.

The most interesting thing about this “supporting local” concept…is how easy it is to do it. Almost easier than a click of a button. Almost. But it’s worth it. Every time you spend ten dollars here in the county, you just invested in the long-term vibrancy and vitality of our community. Every time you do a shoutout raving about your favorite store or your newest locally sourced goodie, you’re contributing to a flourishing local economy.

Think about how much power you wield to make life in Union County better, one moment at a time. Try it. I’m not asking you to never leave the valley or forgo a thing you may pine for. All I’m encouraging you to do is practice a little extra mindfulness when you’re shopping. If you can’t get something here, that’s OK — I get it. If you just want to go for a drive and check out new places, I’m right there with you. But next time, before you click, see what you can find right now, rather than two days from now.

Consider this random fact I learned since researching the benefits of supporting local — if everyone shifted and spent just $10 per month locally (that normally would have been spent online), $9.3 billion would be returned back into local economies. Wherever you are, isn’t $10 worth where you live?