By Beth Bear – Guest Columnist
Director of the Chamber Association of Jerseyville.
We are lucky to live in a community where our local businesses do so much to give back. Their generosity is often so consistent and reliable that it can be taken for granted. For instance, my child is enrolled in youth soccer through the Parks and Recreation Department, and our team is sponsored by Dairy Queen, a local business owned by Kevin and Debbie Traub. I too played on youth teams that were sponsored by local businesses 30 years ago, and it would be easy to just accept that this is ‘how things are.’ But let’s stop and take a moment to consider this kindness: across the soccer, basketball, and baseball/softball programs roughly 1000 children are bought a team t-shirt by a business every year. And this has been happening for decades. Tens of thousands of kids have supported our businesses to be a part of a team, and this is just one instance.
Our local businesses contribute to the Panther Athletic Club, the Jerseyville Library, CASA, to our local churches, the backpack program, community events, and the food pantry. They throw candy to kids at the Fair Parade, and decorate their floats for our enjoyment. Our businesses ‘bleed blue’ to cheer on our sports teams. We are so fortunate that our businesses aren’t here just to make a living – they are part of our community and they
enrich our towns and Jersey County in countless ways.
This last week has provided more great examples of the commitment of our businesses to our community. During City Center week, we have enjoyed an ice cream social with live music, a late-night shopping event, and art classes. Still to come is bingo, a movie in the park, and a shopping promotion where you can win prizes, with no purchases necessary.
Shopping locally has many benefits including tax revenue and job creation. But our local businesses do more than just positively impact our economy. They enrich our community and create a unique sense of place. And not least of all, they help to make ‘home’ the very special place that it is.
