Fit Supporting the Community into your Holiday Budget

Temperatures are dropping, snowflakes are beginning to fall, and colorful lights and decorations are starting to appear in the trees. The holiday giving season is right around the corner in Maine! This year is going to be a little different, but we can still keep it magical. The best way is to think and buy local! When you purchase a gift from a local merchant, four things happen.

Your gift is extra special.
It’s all too easy to go online and purchase a gift from a large e-commerce site. When you buy something locally, it comes from Maine. People from outside of the state love gifts from Maine. They will also think of you when they unwrap their Maine-based gift. Many Maine merchants have online sites or can provide curbside pick up to make it easy for you.

The gift you buy has a story.
People love a good story. When you buy a gift locally, you are creating a story to tell. What street did you walk down? What is the business owner like? Is there a story behind how the business got its start? How long have you shopped there and why do you love this merchant? We are lucky to live in a state where people are innovative, creative and pour their hearts into business that they start.

It’s not only a gift for your friend or family.
You may think you are only buying a gift for your Auntie or an old childhood friend. If you think about it, it’s also a gift for a store owner. Now is quite a challenging time to run a business. Your local businesses appreciate your patronage more than ever.

It’s a gift for you, too.
Supporting your local community also helps build equity where you live. When the economy thrives around you, your quality of life also improves. Knowing that you are doing your part to help your neighborhood, town or state is rewarding.

cPort members tell us that they love that our credit union tries to support our local communities and economy. We appreciate hearing that our members strive to do the same.