As a part of our focus on local businesses for the month of July, we wanted to recognize some of our awesome customers who are using their small business to support the local community! Read the stories below to learn how each one is giving back.


Thomas-Partyka-headshotThomas Partyka |
 Further than Photos

How is your company making a difference? I work with nonprofits to create fun events and to raise money for charity. For example, in May 2015, I worked with Firefly Run in Rahway, NJ, which helped raise money for the Valerie Fund. I volunteered to do a fun photo shoot for all guests. Social media uploads were free, and prints were $5 –  100% of which went straight to the Valerie Fund, an organization that supports the comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders. Further Than Photos also considers itself to be a part of the growing Effective Altruist movement and donates 7% of profits to high impact charities selected from thelifeyoucansave.org.

Why is it important to help small businesses in your local community? Local small businesses help make your community better by caring for and giving directly to the community in many ways.

Further than Photos is a photo booth, photo, video and documentary services based in New Jersey.


cust4Janet Roberts | Centering Corporation

How is your company making a difference? We are a national non-profit grief and loss center. We provide books and other resources to help families who are experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one. We also provide resources and tools for caregivers who provide support for grieving families. With Pure Chat we are able to provide immediate assistance for people looking for support and information after the loss of a loved one. They get a caring response from people who really care about them. Pure Chat has given our website a personality and a real heart for people to reach out to.

Why is it important to help small businesses in your local community? In this world of technology, it’s nice to know that there is someone on the other end taking care of things. It’s not just a machine out there. It’s not just a computer. It’s a real person there to help. It’s just a click away.

The Centering Corporation is a grief resource center based in Nebraska.


cust2

Joseph Castonguay | Overhead Door Company of Tampa Bay 

How is your company making a difference? We have partnered up with a local charity, Metropolitan Ministries, to run donation drives. We started last holiday season with a food drive. To get everyone involved, we offered a discount to our customers if they were to donate food items to our drive. Between our customers and employees, we were able to raise almost 1,300 lbs of food for Metropolitan Ministries and helped them feed thousands in the Tampa Bay area. Right now, we have started a Hygiene Drive with them and are donating $5 from every residential job we do through July towards hygiene products for them. 

Everyone in our company participates in our drives. From the people who answer the phones to the field techs, we are all talking about our drive and making people aware of Metropolitan Ministries. We have someone who makes the signs and Thank You cards for our customers. We get everyone involved whenever we are doing community events since we all live here.

Why is it important to help small businesses in your local community? Small businesses make up the largest percent of the work force. It is important to keep the largest part of your work force healthy so the economy remains healthy and growing. On the micro level, the small business is not just a part of the community but in the community. We know what is happening around us like if a local baseball team is in the playoffs, a crime nearby was committed, or if someone is in need. The small business is a neighborhood watch waiting to help and looking to help when it can. When you see a small business leave or go under, it is like a part of the community was just lost.

Overhead Door Co. is a family-owned garage door business based in Florida. Learn more at @OverheadDoorTam.


cust3Nadio Granata | Stafflex

How is your company making a difference? We are putting a giant cinema screen into the main square in the town center so we can show FREE films to the public throughout the summer as part of our 15 year celebrations.

We have engaged local businesses to provide food and drink and nominated two local charities to benefit from the fundraising carried out throughout the program. We have had massive social media coverage and regular features in the local press. Plus, our advertisers, production team and marketing suppliers are sourced from the local region as well. The whole project has exposed us to a significant financial risk, but it’s worth it due to the feel-good factor it has contributed to the wellbeing of the town that has served us so well over the years.

Why is it important to help small businesses in your local community? We believe it is vitally important to support small and micro businesses in the local community for a number of reasons:
1. They need the help more than bigger companies.
2. They will grow and utilize our services more in the long run.
3. They are more accessible and therefore easier to work with.
4. They appreciate our support as much as we appreciate theirs.

Stafflex is a recruitment agency based in the UK. Learn more at @stafflexjobs.

 

If you would like to tell us how you’re supporting your local community, tweet us at @PureChat or comment below!