Frankenmuth

T here are countless stories and studies written about the value of "shopping local." As the primary business advocacy organization in Frankenmuth, the Chamber of Commerce has worked to encourage this in many ways over the years. But what does shopping local truly mean? Does it mean not leaving the few square miles of our small town for clothing, goods, or groceries? Or forgoing the convenience of a late night superstore? Or perhaps not protecting your families budget needs by shopping at a local retailer that is priced higher than a convenient online source? I frequently find myself in this quandary. The true meaning of "shopping local" is more about making conscious decisions regarding the specific need and value of any good or service we personally invest in. It's about finding your best balance and making an effort to each do our part for the community and increase our personal investment more each year. And perhaps it is about looking at the bigger picture and how we all have a role in keeping our community thriving. Is getting groceries at the local Kroger instead of Sam's Club the answer? Not entirely. But that is a small piece of the puzzle! It helps insure that our local Kroger stays healthy enough that we can continue to warrant a grocery store in our town. I'm not suggesting you should never shop at Sam's Club again or shaming anyone that makes that decision. I'm simply challenging us all to think about it and consider this statement: If we do less of one thing, can we do more of something bigger? The simple fact is that when we shop local, more money stays local to help pay local taxes, employ local people and insure we have those businesses here in the future. Businesses that are not only a convenience but provide the support for many of the things we consider part of the benefit of living in this wonderful place. There are many factors that impact our buying decisions. Price, convenience and selection certainly top the list. This article is intended to make us stop and think. Think of the power we all have to make a positive impact and how the trickle down of that is even more powerful. Every time we make a decision to work with someone or buy something locally, we support the local economy which in turn supports all the quality of life amenities we have come to expect in our fine city. While your favorite – or least favorite – of those amenities will likely vary from that of your neighbor, it is clear that we couldn't have all the offerings we do in such a small community without a great deal of local support. Support can be in the form of donations or financial contributions to church or school auctions/events, youth sports, fun community-wide events, an incredible community theatre, a robust modern library, an enviable and beautiful city landscape, a new farmer's market and more, or even in the form of volunteerism, as many of our non-profit businesses rely on the help of our local residents to keep operations running. These things take more support than we can document and nearly all of this support is the result of a decision someone is making to invest in the community. They are not required to it as much as you and I aren't required to shop local. But when we all do our part, there's no limit to what we can accomplish in our small but mighty city. If you've ever been on a committee or chaired a fundraiser or an event (which is likely many of you reading this because it takes an army of volunteers for most of these to occur), you know that support from the businesses in the community is an important component in the success of many local events and programs. I challenge us all to be reminded that "It takes a Village" and we can all do our part to help a neighbor, another parent, a co-worker or even business. The next time you need help with your car, or a loan, a place to host a baby shower, or want an insurance agent you know will be there in tough times, consider first those in your own backyard that have likely supported your life in Frankenmuth already. Local support provides local support. Even when we don't agree, we're all in this together. e simple fact is that when we shop local, more money stays local to help pay local taxes, employ local people and insure we have those businesses here in the future. Local Support Provides Local Support B Y J A M I E F U R B U S H 18

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