Shop Locally. Give Locally.
by Karen Topakian
Localvore. It’s the Oxford American Dictionary’s 2007 word of the year. Meaning buying and eating food grown locally. Good idea, unless you like to eat imported Italian pasta and you live in San Francisco.
Lately small business owners around the country have asked their customers and others to spend at least $100 of their holiday shopping dollars locally. To support small and local businesses that by design keeps the money in the community. These small businesses are the backbone of the economy generating new jobs faster than larger corporations. Another good idea.
What about giving locally? Why not challenge yourself to contribute at least $100 of your end of the year gifts to organizations that provide services and activities and benefits locally. Why not put your hard earned dollars to work in your community by supporting local organizations? The one that fights to keep an open space in your neighborhood open. The one that harvested the fruit in your backyard and donated it to senior centers. Or the one that provided your son or daughter, niece or nephew with alternatives to joining the military.
When you give locally, you help yourself, your neighbors, and your community.
We could call it localanthropy? And when you give this way you can refer to yourself as localanthropic.
Try it on to see if you like the way it sounds and then start donating. If you’re looking for some local groups to support, just contact Agape. We only fund groups located in California. When you give to us, you are giving locally.
Tags: community, giving locally, holiday, local, shopping, small businesses