By Elyse Hauser
Keepin’ it Local Supports Local Businesses
We all love the neighborhood, with all of its businesses and amenities, but we don’t always give much thought to the importance of keeping our money in the community. That’s why South Kensington Community Partners (SKCP), the Girard Business and Arts Association (GBAA), and Equal Dollars Community Currency are teaming up to do a “Keepin’ it Local Day” in South Kensington on April 6.
I met with Mike Beitcher and Sara Reed of Equal Dollars to learn more about this event, which is part of a bigger plan to improve the community and keep our dollars local. “Anyone can sign up to be a part of Equal Dollars; we have over 2,000 individual members right now,” said Sara, “and about 25 businesses. People fill out an application, and we give them 50 Equal Dollars to get them started.” The Equal Dollars organization has a food market, thrift store, online store, and other resources that accept these funds, including a growing roster of businesses. People can get Equal Dollars by doing community service work, or by providing a good or service to someone else who is involved in the organization.
“In the U.S. dollar market, if somebody can’t make a profit off of it, it sort of goes by the wayside,” Sara said. “If people are unemployed or underemployed, or not making a livable wage, with Equal Dollars we want to try to find value with everyone. Everyone has something to offer, and we want to reward that. Equal Dollars is more about abundance than scarcity, which is often different in the U.S. dollar market.”
“What we’ve done as an expansion of that is this Keepin’ it Local Day,” explains Sara. “We’ve partnered with the SKCP and GBAA, and we have local people doing community service in their neighborhoods, for which they can get Equal Dollars.” One of these will be the South Kensington Business District Clean Up Day on March 23. “We’ll get volunteers out to clean up businesses on Girard Avenue, and other business pockets in South Kensington, and we’ll give people Equal Dollars for doing that work,” said Sara. “People can then turn around and spend those Equal Dollars at these local businesses on April 6, which is our Keepin’ it Local Day.” Businesses can accept a portion of Equal Dollars and of U.S. dollars, essentially giving people a discount on goods in exchange for their volunteer work. Anyone, not just local volunteers, can come check out Kensington businesses on Keepin’ it Local Day. Businesses can then use the Equal Dollars they get to buy things from other businesses in the Equal Dollars program.
How did Equal Dollars come to be part of this project? “We naturally started with the SKCP folks,” Sara said. “We connected with them as they were telling us about the awesome work they were doing in the community. Keepin’ it Local Day came about as we were talking about ways to reward their volunteers.” They are focusing currently on the SKCP service area, which is from Front to 6th and Girard to Berks, but hope to expand their reach in the future.
“The philosophy of Keepin’ it Local Day is about supporting local business,” said Mike, “and the idea that when you buy from a locally-owned business you’re making an investment in your community. Money that is spent at chain stores or big retailers doesn’t stay. They collect it and ship it off, and it’s hoarded in a corporate office. When you spend money here, it circulates and keeps the local economy strong.” With Equal Dollars, even those that don’t have much money to spend can get a little extra help towards shopping at these local stores, as the Equal Dollars they earn mean they can get more goods for less U.S. money.
“What’s really great about Equal Dollars is because there’s this abundance, people are able to share with each other instead of trying to compete with each other,” said Sara. “What’s cool about the work we’re doing in South Kensington is that we see a circle of giving, but also of getting. The volunteers spend their time in the community, cleaning up the streets of different business corridors, and they get Equal Dollars for doing that. The businesses benefit from the fact that their street corners are cleaned up.” Volunteers will do more than just clean the streets, too. “We also are offering volunteer labor for helping businesses plant flowers in front of their store, hang up lights or signs, clean the windows, and so on.” The businesses will be able to feel good when they see volunteers come in on April 6 with their Equal Dollars, because they are giving a U.S. dollar discount in exchange for the help they and the community received.
“It’s very discretionary—it’s up to the owner what they choose to offer,” said Mike. “If they have some type of inventory that they’re having a hard time moving, they can offer it for two Equal Dollars to try and sell it. It’s whatever they make of it.” Whether businesses want to discount everything, or only a few select items, they can.
If businesses choose to they can use their Equal Dollars to buy from other businesses in the organization, but they can also donate them to a nonprofit in the system and get a tax write-off for the donation. Or, they could offer them to employees as an incentive that does not require taking money out of the budget. For example, gift cards are offered through some participating businesses, a great employee bonus that can be bought at a discount using Equal Dollars.
Nicole Marcote of participating business Quince Café said, “Quince is participating in Keepin’ it Local Day because we want to thank community volunteers who share our wish of making our neighborhood a cleaner, greener, and safer place for us to live in and for others to visit. We like the Equal Dollars program because it brings back humanness to market transactions which in turn creates stronger communities.”
“The most important thing for us is connecting with people in the neighborhood,” said Sara. “That’s why we’re working with SKCP and GBAA.” In the future, as they try to expand their offerings in the neighborhood, they hope to join up with even more of the many neighborhood organizations in the community. Mike said, “Another thing about working with the community organizations is they have great working relationships with a lot of business owners. It makes our job just so much easier.”
Due to this support from local organizations, and the enthusiasm of business owners, “We feel like this is happening organically from the community,” says Sara. “We’re just supporting it and helping to develop the idea.” Mike added, “We see ourselves as facilitating all of this.”
“We’re basically thinking of this as a pilot program,” Mike continued. “We’re starting small, and seeing how much we can do with the idea. We’re hoping for a good turnout of volunteers, and I think we’ll get it.”
South Kensington resident and SKCP volunteer Corey Bell said, “I think it’s a great experiment because traditionally, a neighborhood clean-up day only involves people cleaning for one morning; that’s it, there’s no greater societal impact beyond un-littering the streets; which is good, but in a few weeks, the streets will have re-gathered more litter. I think rewarding participants in the upcoming South Kensington clean-up day with Equal Dollars is a fantastic way to multiply the benefits of volunteering in your neighborhood. I already patronize some local businesses, but I think I will shop at even more, and more frequently, if I have Equal Dollars in my pocket. As word spreads about Equal Dollars, more people will participate in SKCP projects, local businesses will thrive, and Girard Avenue will become revitalized (it won’t happen overnight, but this is a step in the right direction). Ultimately, it’s about creating a better connection with the community, and taking ownership of our neighborhood.”
All of the volunteers will be locals involved in SKCP. These community members will get to shop at their favorite businesses, and discover new favorites as well. However, the April 6 Keepin’ it Local Day will hopefully attract Equal Dollars members from all over the city, as well. “It’s like them having a big sale—it’s more foot traffic in the door; people go in who might not have normally,” said Mike.
He went on, “The response has been pretty positive so far, considering that we’re still a couple of weeks out.” Sara added, “People here are so welcoming to community work, and to trying to make their community better. It’s really a special area. I’m so glad we’re piloting this program here.”
With all of the new businesses opening up in the area, it’s a great time to start shopping local, and the partnership of Equal Dollars, SKCP, GBAA, and in the future, other community organizations is going to help give people the resources to do so. Locals want to help in the community and shop at local businesses, so this community clean-up and Keepin’ it Local Day is bound to be a success. Don’t miss this opportunity to keep it local in the Riverwards!
For more information, visit equaldollars.org or southkensingtoncommunity.org. Clean Up Day will begin at 10AM on March 23 at 1301 N. 2nd St. To sign up to help beautify South Kensington, call 215-427-3463. Keepin’ it Local Day is on April 6; participating businesses are listed at equaldollars.org.
