ANOTHER VIEWPOINT: Support local economy, even from shelter

<p>The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</p><p>As we shelter in place and limit trips to work or the grocery store, there still are milestones to mark and encouragement to offer friends and family. And there are ways to do so while helping northeast Indiana weather the COVID-19 storm. Shopping local has never been so important.</p><p>Need to send a gift? Local stores aren’t necessarily closed, even if they aren’t operating as an essential business. Maureen Madden and Theresa Kacmarik, the sister/business partner team behind Cookie Cottage, have 27 employees at their new location on West Washington Center Road. Sales are down by half since the shutdown, but Madden said no one has been furloughed. The business has been taking orders online and by phone, with customers picking them up curbside. Cookies can also be ordered for shipping.</p><p>“There were a few people who were, ‘You’re not essential — you’re just cookies,’ ” Madden said. “But people get the cookies and they take them to other people to thank them for what they’re doing. We’ve sent them to the hospitals; to the fire department and the police and other people that are working. It’s a nice gift and kind of keeps some normalcy to what’s going on.”</p><p>Madden said she and Kacmarik are continuing to work because they don’t want their employees to have to go on unemployment.</p><p>“We figured as long as we can stay open, we’ll absorb whatever we have to as long as we can,” she said.</p><p>Creative Women of the World, a nonprofit established to help women in developing countries build sustainable businesses, normally sells artisan wares at its boutique on West Wayne Street in downtown Fort Wayne. While the storefront operation is closed, shoppers can still order gifts and gift cards online, for shipping or delivery. Lynne Gilmore, the non-profit’s board chair and interim executive director, said she spent four or five hours last Friday making pre-Easter deliveries.</p><p>“Every item has a unique story,” she said of the merchandise available at Creative Women. “You lose some of that store experience, but we know gift-giving continues – birthdays still continue, anniversary celebrations, graduations. There’s still going to be a need regardless of what happens around us. We’ve also discovered that some of the headbands we have, the scarves, can be used for face masks. So we try to find parallels to help people navigate their way through not only the products we have, but also how they can use them today.”</p><p>Local arts organizations and venues could also use your support. Consider buying tickets now for events later this year, such as the Embassy Theatre’s Summer Nights series, which begins May 20. What sounds better right now than live music, food from local vendors and the view from the Embassy’s rooftop patio?</p><p>And while the Downtown Improvement District’s Mother’s Day trolley shopping event won’t happen this year, the district has plenty of ideas for marking the occasion with gifts that also support local businesses: an arrangement from Cottage Flowers, a basket of treats from Snickle &amp;amp; Fritz Candy Emporium, spring decor from Smiley’s Joy and more. Those ideas can be extended to merchants throughout northeast Indiana.</p><p>Even Etsy, the online marketplace for artists and crafters, allows you to shop local. You can search for a jewelry maker in Fort Wayne, a leather-goods crafter in Auburn or a sign maker in Bluffton. The money stays in this region.</p><p>Amazon and other mega-retailers make it easy to click and buy. Those online purchases support the U.S. economy overall, but a little more initiative keeps your dollars close to home while helping your neighbors and the state and regional economy. Shop small and shop local.</p><p><em>Send comments to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</em></p>