Over here in our little insulated corner of the world, where we find ourselves so insanely blessed during a global crisis by family, job security and free healthcare, our hearts have been breaking for those in our little community whose livelihoods have been crushed by a virus that has now shut down their worlds.
We've been praying and brainstorming and texting with friends from the home base we now leave only to hit up grocery stores and toilet paper trucks, even as we read online the stories of our friends and neighbors who've shelved dreams and shuttered doors after 10, 20 and 30 years in our little town.
And that's when our beloved family physician gave us the best idea of all.
"If you want to do something about it, why don't you launch a campaign for locals to buy gift cards to locally owned restaurants and retailers? Even if those cards can't be used right now, they act as a no-interest loan for businesses who are just trying to survive this season."
Before I could even finish explaining this brilliant idea to our little team (who has nothing but time on their hands), one boy had grabbed a pen and another had grabbed a laptop, and in the period of less than 24 hours, a 13-year-old and a 10-year-old (with the assistance of an 8-year-old and 6-year-old who, between snacks, kept them company) had named a campaign, designed a logo, built a Wix website and emailed it to the local newspaper. [This former editor confesses that she DID help proofread their work because, while these sweet superheroes believe in community service, they definitely DO NOT believe in spelling.]
With their own little spin.
That we as a community not only buy GENEROUS gift cards to locally owned restaurants and retailers ... but that we then turn around and RE-GIFT them to the hair dressers, gym owners, salon owners, gig workers and other employees who were ordered by our state to fully shut down on Monday.
It looks like THIS (on behalf of the boys who have been on lock-down at our house for the last 13 days).
With a whole lot of hand sanitizing and abstinence from face touching while in public in between.
Want to make a difference in the lives of the people who are the heartbeat of the culture of a community? 💓
Check out www.cardsforacomeback.com, and share on social media using #cardsforacomeback.
Download the flyer Superhero 3 helped lay out HERE. Restaurant owner now surviving on take-out and delivery? Print out this flyer to advertise the sale of gift cards at your store.
One person can't do everything, but EVERYONE can do something. And with gift card purchases for many local restaurants available to print online, you don't even have to leave your home in many cases to purchase a digital gift card and forward it to a neighbor or friend!
If you're blessed enough to be employed today, you're blessed enough to GIVE.
Whether you live in our area or another, you, too, can make a difference, one little gift card at a time.
Let's rally for our friends and neighbors, and in this season, make love a VERB.
"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ~ Mark 12:30-31
#cardsforacause #coronaviruscomeback #loveisaverb
