Amarillo Matters announced today that they will invest $25,000 in the Amarillo economy to help support local businesses and encourage people to shop local.
“We know the pandemic has taken a toll on our economy and hit local businesses hard,” Amarillo Matters President, Jason Herrick, said. “We wanted to do something to help while reminding people about the importance of shopping local.”
Starting Monday (May 11) Amarillo Matters will draw the name of an eligible business and give them $1,000. The announcement will be made via Facebook Live. Customers who shop in the store that week will be eligible to win an additional $500, which will be given away the following Friday (May 15). To be eligible, businesses must be locally owned, a member of either the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, or the Amarillo Area Black Chamber of Commerce and have less than 50 employees. Any business interested in taking part in the effort is asked to register at amarillomatters.com/shoplocal.
“You’ve got to remember that a lot of these folks have been closed down for the past month or longer,” Amarillo Matters Board Member, Trevor Caviness, said. “They’re hurting, and it’s up to our community to step up our support and keep as many of our dollars flowing through the local economy as possible.”
It’s estimated that 48 percent of each purchase at a local business is recirculated locally.
Although the initial commitment is $25,000, Amarillo Matters is actively fundraising to match that amount.
“We will continue to do this as long as we can,” Herrick added. “This is our home, these are our friends and neighbors, and we want to do everything to not only help them recover but to thrive as we move through the summer months.”
