Now is a time more than ever we need to support everyone in our communities.
The bars, restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses in our smaller towns have proven invaluable in the past couple weeks. They aren’t huge chain corporations, but small businesses that care about their customers and fellow community members and we should return the favor.
Many stores across the country are changing the way they do business to ensure the safety of consumers during this pandemic. Whether it’s free delivery services, sanitized product shipping or donations made with purchases — our businesses are doing the best they can.
If you’re able to, buy from these businesses in your area so when this pandemic is over they’ll still be there.
We’ve yet to peak in the United States and we can’t know for sure when things will go back to normal.
It’s totally understandable if you don’t have the resources to contribute, but if you do, then please keep your local businesses alive.
In Vermillion local businesses already struggle in the summer due to college students going home. Now there is even less business because students have left and are practicing social distancing.
Some things you can do is buy gift cards to use once this is over. If there are businesses offering “rain check” coupons or vouchers buy them for your friends and family as plans for when we no longer have to social distance.
Local grocery stores might soon be the only stores left open for the public to go to. If you’re shopping in-store realize that these workers are putting their lives and their families’ lives at risk. So please don’t take that lightly when you’re shopping for supplies.
We’ll get through this, but it won’t be easy. It may be months before our lives resemble some sense of normalcy, but hold on to hope that you’ll see better days.
As long as we all do our part to keep our communities and homes safe, we have a chance to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections.
So support your local businesses in any way that you can, but stay safe and healthy doing so. Make sure you’re doing more good than harm, and avoiding other people to reduce the chances of spreading any illness.
So many stores have changed the way they do business to keep people safe, and you can help that by supporting from afar.
