This month, your RVP is teaming up with the Rainier Chamber to host an exciting new contest: The Rainier Valley Buy Local Challenge – a fun way to discover new-to-you products, services, restaurants, and recreation and entertainment options right here in your own community.
Why? Because if we want our local, independent businesses to survive, we must patronize and promote them. It’s that simple.
Win Prizes! At the end of the challenge, prizes will be awarded for the most money spent in the Valley, the most experiences in the Valley, the most donations of money or time in the Valley and the most interesting experience discovering a new-to-you neighborhood.
It’s Easy! Briefly record your shop, stay, discover and support activities during the month of November. Report those activities weekly in the comment section of your RVP’s Rainier Valley Buy Local Open Thread post starting tomorrow, Sat., Nov. 6! For instance:
I. Shop
- Services: massage and chiropractic care at Rainier Valley Chiropratic $125
- Products: new glasses at Wink $400
- Restaurants/Food: 10 lattes at Both Ways $30, 10 banh mi ga sandwiches at Tony’s Deli $40, BBQ sandwiches at Jones BBQ $30 (with tip), Grocery shopping at Othello Safeway $250
II. Stay
- Exercise class in Seward Park $120
- Music at Rainier Valley Cultural Center $30
- Watched my son play three basketball games at Rainier Beach Community Center
III. Discover
- Rode the light rail and got off at each Valley stop to look at the station artwork
IV. Support
- Donated toys to Wellspring Family Services, value: $40
- Made a financial donation to RV Food Bank $75
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
{ 4 comments }
“Because if we want our local, independent businesses to survive, we must patronize and promote them. It’s that simple.”
How about introducing local businesses to Groupon and also creating a local currency for local businesses that can be purchased with hyperinflating US dollars? The local currency would not hyperinflate, and would maintain value. This creates major incentive to load up on this local currency and store it since it can be used locally later on.
That’s how you really get local businesses to survive. Of course, this is too far ahead of its time, so it can’t possibly be a viable solution that makes perfect sense. Thinking outside the box is merely fodder for ridicule.
@fodder,
There was a fabulous article in this week’s Real Change (I will add to my ‘buy local’ list that I purchased a copy of Real Change from a vendor in the Valley) that made a very interesting point about basing the world’s transactions on one currency as being a form of monoculture that sucks power away from the actual consumer.
http://www.realchangenews.org/index.php/site/archives/4876/
There are actually barter exchanges set up in Seattle, though I’ve never tried them. One is for businesses.
https://www.bizx.com/overview.htm
This one is for regular folks
http://dibspace.com/
I hate to say but my whole buy local receipts will consist of only groceries and restaurants (although I do support the local restaurants nicely)
Saturday, went to Holly Park Safeway!
then I hopped over the hill and went to Daniel Smith Art supplies on 1st ave south.
Sunday, we went to Mutual Fish to get dinner (on bicycle)
Comments on this entry are closed.