One Christmas, we intentionally tried something different– we “shopped local.” We went to several holiday bazaars in Sequim and Port Angeles and shopped for everyone on our list– and it was wonderful. In Sequim, we met a woman who wove a lovely two-sided purple scarf that we gave to Jeff’s mom. We also met a delightful young couple that hiked out to the New Dungeness Lighthouse with their camera with the massive lens during the middle of a storm (a 10 mile round trip hike!) to take a picture that they made into a jigsaw puzzle that we gave to Jeff’s dad. In Port Angeles, we met a retired man who paints lovely notecards of local scenes that I gave to my godmother. We also bought a dated, handmade wooden ornament from a lady in Port Angeles to add to our collection. We had a fun time shopping, never felt the press of the mall crowds, and our family and friends appreciated receiving something unique and handmade. We also felt good knowing that we had contributed to strengthening the communities we know and love. It was a win-win.
The choices we made while Christmas shopping extend to the decisions we make every day. We try to make conscious decisions about where we choose to spend our time and our money. Do we shop online or at “big box stores” and national retailers, or do we shop locally from business owners who live in our community, know us by name, and appreciate our business? We choose the latter and hope you will, too.
Small businesses are the backbone of America. Their owners live in our communities, pay real estate and school taxes, hire our friends and family members, contribute to community causes, and carry goods and services that will meet the needs of the people who live in our community. They are what make our communities unique and interesting places to live.
By contrast, national and international corporations are focused solely on the bottom line. They are not interested in enhancing the lives of people who live in the towns where their stores are located. In order to do that, they would have to know those people and care about them. Make no mistake, they don’t. Instead, they specialize in selling goods that were manufactured overseas and trucked in from centralized distribution centers. They pay the lowest wages to their employees and often don’t provide them with employee benefits. They engage in abusive litigation tactics against people who dare to sue them, regardless of whether those people were injured on their property as a result of the corporation’s negligence or whether their employees are suing them for not paying the wages they are entitled to under the law. Quite simply, they are bad community citizens. Why would you want to support that?
We encourage you to “shop local” and strengthen your community. We think you’ll be delighted by the services and goods that this type of shopping will improve and enhance your happiness quotient.
Here are a few of the local businesses that we love:
- Rose Theatre (Port Townsend) – The Rose is a unique gem that you don’t want to miss. This restored movie theatre has 3 screens, including The Starlight Room which is in the top floor of a restored Victorian building. They feature first run films, documentaries, classics nights, special interest events, and it is home to the annual Port Townsend Film Festival.
- Alderwood Bistro (Sequim) – This is our favorite restaurant IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. We love it here! The food is local, organic, sustainable, seasonal, and so delicious! They source their food from local purveyors, some so small and with quantities so limited that you couldn’t even get them in Seattle. Everything is tasty, but we especially like to order off the “Fresh Sheet” to see what Chef Gabe has dreamed up. Gabe & Jessica have created a culinary haven we know you will enjoy. Community Bonus: Chef Gabe is often the featured chef at the 100 Mile Dinner to benefit the North Olympic Land Trust.
- Port Book & News (Port Angeles) – A mainstay on Main Street in Port Angeles for decades. This book store is packed with new books, used books, audio books, a huge magazine selection, games, maps, cards, and gift items. If they don’t have what you want in stock, they’ll order it for you. Don’t miss their holiday window displays in December. Community Bonus: Instead of candy for the kids at Halloween, Alan gives each trick or treater their very own book!
- Sound Community Bank (King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Clallam counties) – A full service bank that provides consumer and consumer accounts, as well as investments, mortgages and loans. “Community” is their middle name. Community Bonus: Sound Community Bank is so concerned about their customers and safeguarding their personal and financial data that it took the lead in suing Target for the data security breach in December 2013 that compromised and exposed the financial data of Target’s customers. In doing this, Sound sent a strong message that Target, and other large corporations, must be held accountable for safeguarding their customers’ private information.
