I saw a worthy post on Facebook recently reminding us how important it is to shop at our local small businesses this holiday season. The post read: “Remember all the local small businesses that you’ve asked for years and years to sponsor and donate to your sports clubs, school events, organizations, etc? They’re calling in the favor. Answer the call.”

Small businesses have been seriously impacted during the pandemic. Now that we’re in the season of good cheer, consider spending your hard-earned cash locally. Amazon and WalMart are already doing quite well, thank you. But owners of local restaurants, boutiques, gift shops, and spas have watched revenues take a deep dive this year.

Sure, it’s easy to buy gifts online from the Big Box stores and mega-sites like Amazon and Wayfair. But before you press that “Buy” button, ask yourself if you can spend your money locally and, at the same time, support your community.

Here are a few ideas:

• Buy gift cards at local restaurants. This is a terrific way to support our local restaurants now at a time when they need it the most.
• Go to local markets, where you’ll find crafts, food items, soaps, jewelry, and tons of other gift ideas for everyone on your list.
• Think outside the box and buy some experiential gifts for your family and friends. How about tickets to a show, a gift certificate for a massage, art classes, a kayak tour, or a membership at a local museum or zoo?
• Give your family the gift of a getaway. Besides restaurants, the entire hospitality industry is suffering. What better way to support the travel industry than taking a trip? If you’re worried about traveling by plane, plan a road trip or a staycation. Hotels these days are being uber-careful about cleaning protocols, and there are plenty of socially distant ways to have fun and enjoy new experiences wherever you go.

The main thing is to ask yourself, “Where can my dollars help the most?” The answer is a no-brainer. Duh, right here in your own community, where the people you see every day need your help right now.

And if you can’t think of a gift for that person in your life who has everything, make a donation to an area charity or arts organization instead. Charities and community organizations have watched their revenues decrease this year as donations from people experiencing money woes has fallen.

If you or your family is experiencing a difficult time right now, reach out to the people you love and ask for assistance. We all want to make a difference in the world and what better way is there than to lend a helping hand at a time of need.

We’ll get through this together, right? Let’s end the year on a positive note by buying and giving where it counts the most: right here in our hometown. Happy holidays to everyone from all of us here at Tidewater Family Plus.