Support local businesses during holiday season

Recently I was at a meeting where a local store owner mentioned a customer of hers came in and announced she was doing all her Christmas shopping in downtown Morris this year.

My first thought was “I really need to get started on my Christmas shopping.” But my second, more important, thought was “Wow, that is a great idea.”

What if we all committed to shopping local even more this holiday season? Here in Grundy County, there is a variety of places to shop local and shop small, so many of us already do some of our holiday purchases right here. But what if we all promise to take it one step further this year?

If you’ve never bought a gift in one of Grundy’s downtowns, can you promise to buy one gift locally this year?

If you already do a lot of shopping in your town, maybe this year you can also cater your Christmas party with a local restaurant?

Our entire county is filled with locally owned stores, restaurants and service providers. There are plenty of places to find the perfect gift; you just have to look.

COVID-19 has caused all of our local business owners and managers to think out of the box and take it one step further to accommodate their customers.

Local diners upped their carryout menus and gift stores started delivering.

Can we, as consumers, take it up a notch as well and make a promise to ourselves and our community to shop local even more this season? I think we can, and we can start now.

The Chamber’s social media pages recently featured a fun post stating “October is the New December – Shop Local. Shop Early. Shop Safe.” Please feel free to share from our pages and spread the word so our local businesses can continue to push through the hardships COVID-19 has caused.

Check out a listing of local Chamber members at grundychamber.com.

Upcoming events:

• 1 p.m. Oct. 28: Community Solar for Grundy County Businesses and Residents webinar. Free to attend.

• 11:30 a.m. Nov. 10: Save Dresden Virtual Luncheon. Free to attend.

• 8 to 9 a.m. Nov. 12: Virtual Coffee & Company with Three Wells Acupuncture. Free to attend.

To attend any of these events, visit grundychamber.com or call 815-942-0113 and a Zoom link will be provided.

The Chamber’s 2020-21 Community Guides are now available. Pick up your copy anytime at the Chamber’s Morris office, 909 Liberty St.

• Christina Van Yperen is president and CEO of the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce.