For months now, West Side businesses have been struggling. For some, the customers they typically serve have been too afraid to leave their homes, deeply impacting sales. On multiple occasions now, businesses have been forced to close their doors on days when it simply felt too unsafe to operate.
Our small businesses are the heartbeat of the West Side neighborhood. They are what make our neighborhood vibrant, resilient, and culturally rich. Many of them hold deep historical and community significance. These businesses already survived the 2020 pandemic, but at that time there were federal and state resources available. Those same safety nets do not exist in this moment of crisis for our state.
Now more than ever, we need to support our small businesses.
At the height of when our community was under attack, big corporations did not stand with us or protect us. Time and again, they’ve shown where their loyalties lie, and it’s not with our neighbors, our workers, or our families.
But we are not powerless.
We have power in our actions.
We have power in our voices.
And we have power in our dollars.
That’s why we launched the Built By Us campaign. Built By Us is a simple idea with powerful potential: when we choose to spend our money locally, we strengthen the neighborhood we all share. Every purchase at a West Side business helps keep a family afloat, keeps a storefront open, and keeps the character of our neighborhood alive. This hyper-local movement calls on all West Side residents to shop within our community as much as possible.
Built By Us is comprised of several initiatives designed to strengthen and uplift the West Side business community:
↳ One of the first steps we've completed is create a comprehensive directory of all small businesses on the West Side. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for residents to find exactly what they need right here in our neighborhood, whether it’s a place to eat, a service they rely on, or a new shop to discover. The directory will help connect neighbors with the incredible businesses that already exist just down the street.
↳ Every month, we'll be spotlighting West Side businesses across our communications platforms, sharing their stories, highlighting the people behind them, and encouraging the community to show their support.
↳Another key part of this effort is continuing to raise resources for the West Side Small Business Support Fund, which provides direct assistance to local businesses facing financial challenges.
↳ Finally, we’ll be inviting community members to pledge to the Built By Us movement – to commit to supporting West Side businesses whenever possible. Small choices add up. When we intentionally spend our dollars locally, we help build a stronger and more resilient neighborhood for everyone.
For too long, our money has flowed out of our neighborhood and into systems that harm us. It’s time to stop funding our oppressors and start funding each other. This movement is about making the transactional transformational. When we keep our dollars here, we build resilience. We protect our businesses. We strengthen our community.
Watch the campaign launch video on our social media!
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