Pledging to shop locally during Live Local K-W week
JULIANA GOMEZ
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by Helen HallKitchener Citizen
September 17, 2015
Last year, Juliana Gomez came up with an idea to document what it would be like to spend a week of only shopping locally.
“And then ‘ambitious me’ decided to get others involved,” she says with a laugh.
Gomez decided to create Live Local K-W, a week where participants pledge to eat, shop and play in locally-owned businesses. It grew out of her passion for supporting local businesses, but also she wanted to “build a sense of community and belonging.” It runs from September 13 to 19.
Now in its second year, it is an idea that is growing.
As of last week, Gomez said 200 individuals and 55 businesses had pledged online to take part. This is up from 150 people and 45 businesses the previous year.
One of those people who is on board for a second year is small business owner Zenia Horton. She said she “didn’t hesitate” to take part when she first heard about the Live Local K-W week last year.
Horton said she doesn’t understand people who simply look for the cheapest price when they are shopping.
She looks at the big picture, and that is why she supports locally-owned businesses when she can.
“Why wouldn’t you shop where you can invest in somebody’s future and well-being?” she asked.
Participants pledge online to eat, shop and play in locally-owned businesses. Participating businesses offer them discounts and incentives during the week.
They range from things like a free signup for Community CarShare (worth $33.90), to 75g of vacuum-sealed house bacon with a sandwich purchase at Breadbaron Sandwiches at the Kitchener Market.
Horton’s business XTEA Co. located downtown is offering 10% off all tea and tea ware.
Gomez said she hopes that, in addition to growing the locally-owned economy, people will discover “cool local businesses they didn’t know existed before.”
There are a number of events planned for the week to build community by bringing people together.
They include a game of Fugitive (similar to hide and seek) in downtown Kitchener, an improv night, and an evening of spoken word and song.
People can create their own rules for Live Local K-W week, planning where they will do their shopping and dining.
And if they cheat, she suggests they set aside a toonie and bring it to the Words on the Beat, Fire on the Mic Spoken Word and Song evening at Cafe Pyrus on September 19. Toonies collected will be given to Foodlink Waterloo Region, a non-profit organization that promotes local food, and connects farms and food businesses. It also provides local food education and outreach.
To help encourage people to join, Gomez got some local business owners and Kitchener mayor Berry Vrbanovic and Waterloo mayor Dave Jaworsky to make a video that can be seen on YouTube by searching “What Live Local K-W Really Needs.”
To learn more about the participating businesses and events during Live Local K-W visit www.livelocalkw.com.
The Kitchener Citizen is a locally-owned community newspaper that has been serving Kitchener for 20 years. This year, we are a participating business in Live Local K-W.