Greensburg, IN—With the Coronavirus pandemic shuttering the local economy, five organizations in Decatur County collaborated to create www.Devoted2DecaturCounty.com, an opportunity for residents to support local independent businesses during a time they need it the most.
As expected, and as usual, Decatur County residents did not disappoint. With help from the media and social media tools, the organizations involved made the public aware of the effort, and within 48 hours into the program, a total of $45,000 was infused into the local economy. That money benefitted 42 total independent businesses in Decatur County. The list consisted of seven restaurants, 19 retail establishments, and 16 service-oriented businesses. And a late-game saving contribution from Kova Fertilizer keeps the program alive today for more locally owned independent businesses to participate.
The program, which launched on Monday, came together quickly through the efforts spearheaded by the Economic Development Corporation Greensburg Decatur County (EDCGDC), with cooperation from the Decatur County Community Foundation, Decatur County Tourism, MainStreet Greensburg, and the Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce. These five not-for-profit organizations have been working side-by-side for more than four years since the Stellar Communities effort which started in late 2016.
The program works like this: customers can visit the website and purchase $20 gift certificates to the participating businesses. For every $20 spent by a consumer, they receive a certificate worth $30 at the business they chose. That extra $10 infused to each purchase came from funding from the original sponsors. Thanks to generous sponsors including the Decatur County Community Foundation, Decatur County Tourism, and the EDCGDC, a total of $15,000 was available to boost the value of the gift certificates. Also contributing to the effort was Schutte Excavating.
