Governor, VBSR and Local First Vermont: Support local retailers, businesses

Thanking the student body at Montpelier Middle School for doing their part to support local businesses this holiday season, Governor Peter Shumlin, small business owners and others today urged Vermonters to support local retailers and employers this holiday season.
‘It’s always important to shop locally and do business with locally-owned companies, but especially critical this year in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene,’ the governor said. ‘Supporting our neighbors, keeping our dollars in our communities and strengthening the state’s economy have never mattered more.’
Andrea Cohen, executive director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, agreed. ‘It is especially important in light of the recent flooding and devastation from Irene to support each other--businesses helping other businesses and residents, residents helping each other and businesses,’ she said. ‘It is so fantastic to see the young people of Vermont setting an example for all of us by supporting their neighbor businesses now, during the holiday season, and throughout the year. By buying local you are investing in your community and you are to be commended.’
VBSR has been promoting "Buy Local First" the past two years through the creation of the Local First Vermont Resource Guide and Coupon Book. The 2011 Book has over 250 coupons for businesses in Chittenden, Addison, and Washington County, and this year is working with Red Barn Fundraising to provide books to school groups for fundraising activity. Gov. Shumlin and local businesses thanked students at the Montpelier Middle School for selling the buy-local coupon books and supporting community businesses.
"The response to the Buy Local First Coupon Book has been tremendous-- that is no surprise in a place like Vermont where we all understand that buying local is really about supporting our neighbors and our community,’ Cohen said.
‘We have come a long way in 90 days. In Wilmington and Dover alone, 58 businesses have reopened,’ Gov. Shumlin said. ‘Over the holiday season you can help move Vermont’s recovery forward by continuing to volunteer your time, by encouraging your family to visit Vermont and by re-investing in our local businesses by shopping locally, which will help the State’s recovery and rebuilding efforts.’
The Governor and Cohen said in addition to supporting the local economy and our neighbors’ businesses, local employers give better service and hire locally. Doing business locally is also more environmentally friendly by discouraging sprawl and traffic congestion. And shifting just 10 percent of food purchases to local food would add more than $100 million to Vermont's economy, while banking locally helps ensure loans to local people and businesses.
Governor's office. 12.1.2011