It’s critically important at this time for our community’s well-being to minimize in-person interactions, but this policy has harsh financial implications for small business owners. Please help our friends, family, and neighbors keep their shops open by buying gift cards or donating to help cover bills.
Join the Now & Later Gift Card Challenge: Support Small Businesses During Social Distancing
THE CHALLENGE:
NOW:
Buy a gift card or donate to a local Ithaca business every week for the duration of the social distancing recommendation. No amount is too small, let’s help our quirky community weather this storm!
LATER:
Enjoy lots of fun things our town has to offer once community protection measures are lifted.
Local Small Business Owners:
- If you would like to add your info to our Now & Later gift card database, please email info@ithaca.community.
- Follow the Facebook event here.
Small Business Gift Card Giveaway:
We want to know how you’re showing up for the Ithaca community while you’re in isolation — comment on our Facebook post to share your ideas on how to keep our community strong while social distancing!
Ithaca.Community has TWENTY $25 gift cards for local small businesses to share, and we’ll do a random drawing on March 31 to distribute them to 20 local residents who share their ideas.
WHY?
Social distancing is already taking a toll on the small businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations in Ithaca (not to mention our healthcare workers, our own mental health, and financial resources!). One thing we’re doing to help is organizing a list of small businesses that offer gift certificates: http://bit.ly/ithaca-gift-cards
If you are in a position to purchase gift cards, buy online, or donate to a local organization, please consider it! COVID-19 is crippling our small businesses and nonprofits, and many are facing the prospect of layoffs while we wait for large-scale solutions.
We understand that many in our community who live paycheck-to-paycheck (and may be worried about if/when their next one will come) are not in a position to buy gift cards and make donations. But there are still things we can do to show up for our community, stay connected, and spread love during this time of anxiety. We want to encourage community involvement (from a distance) and support our local businesses through this unpredictable and unsettling time.
HOW ARE YOU GIVING OUT THE $25 GIFT CARDS?
- Comment below what you’re doing to support our community (does not have to be financial, be creative!)
- We will pick TWENTY commenters to receive a random $25 gift card to one of our small businesses on March 31. (Please only comment if you live within 45 miles of Ithaca.)
PLEASE SHARE FAR & WIDE, stay positive, spread the love, take a deep breath, wash your hands, stay at home, and keep on being an awesome community.
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As this qualifies as a promotion, we’re required by Facebook to provide some additional language/clarification:
- To be considered in the drawing, please comment on this post with an idea of how you are supporting the Ithaca community during the COVID-19 social distancing.
- Gift card recipients should live within 45 miles of Ithaca, NY.
- This promotion is run by Ithaca.Community, and is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. By commenting, you understand that you are providing your information to Ithaca.Community and not to Facebook. By participating in this promotion you agree to a complete release of Facebook from any claims.
- All comments that are made before 11:59 p.m. EST on March 30, 2020, will be considered in the drawing.
- Gift card recipients will be randomly selected and announced on March 31, 2020. Recipients will be notified by Facebook messenger.
We are bringing groceries to our friends at the Kendal and making sure that we stay connected to them through video chat. I think it really boosts their moral.