'Shop Local Challenge' Encourages Holiday Shoppers To Spend Money At Baltimore Businesses
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- If you are looking for a last-minute holiday gift, merchants in Baltimore hope you'll patronize their stores.
A new campaign kicked off in Fells Point Sunday to help drum up support for local businesses.
The goal of this campaign is to support the city's first district and shop local.
Fells Point businesses are inviting everyone to join the shop local challenge.
"It's just critically important we support the people that support us and make our city so charming. I encourage everyone to bring your friends, bring your uncle, come out and get those holiday gifts," said Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen.
This campaign promotes locally owned shops and restaurants in the first district, reminding consumers how important it is to support their community.
"It's amazing in that we really embrace the local communities Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods and I found that everybody wants to support the neighborhoods and being a local business we get that support and love," Kelley Heuisler, Poppy and Stella's owner, said.
It's an investment that helps our neighborhoods thrive.
"Almost every dollar you spend in a local business goes right back into the community and we hire locally all my staff lives in the neighborhood," said Heuisler.
So it's important to keep that money here, which is critical to our city's success.
"And this is a moment for all of our communities to come together and support each other part of what makes Baltimore so charming is our small and local business community," Cohen added.
A holiday challenge that celebrates Baltimore.
The challenge isn't just for the holiday season, organizers want people to shop local year-round. Reporting in Fells Point.
Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
