Julie Beebe and Jake Fahrenholz have a few things in common: They are both small business owners in Rhode Island, and they both have a longtime appreciation for the North Kingstown Food Pantry.
So when the coronavirus pandemic temporarily shuttered most small businesses and organizations in the Ocean State, the two teamed up not only to boost sales at their own companies, but also to help one of their favorite nonprofits through this difficult time.
The end result was the Rhode Island Local Love campaign. Beebe, owner of the gift and jewelry boutique Yes! Gallery, and Fahrenholz, owner of Fresh Mode Screen Printing, have been making T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats emblazoned with the phrase “Local Love” and donating a portion of the sales to the food pantry.
The design features a Rhode Island license plate marked with April 2020, a month that is not likely to be forgotten considering what has happened. For every T-shirt or hat sold, $5 is donated to the North Kingstown Food Pantry, and for every hoodie, $10 is donated.
“The concept is to celebrate your love of all things Rhode Island and local and, at the same time, raise money for the food pantry,” Beebe told Rhode Island Inno. “Hopefully, this will open people’s eyes to how vulnerable we are as small businesses, and how vulnerable the food pantry is as this tiny little red schoolhouse that has a hard time keeping its shelves stocked in a good year.”
The concept was initially Beebe's brainchild. After running into Fahrenholz one day at the pantry, she and Fahrenholz decided to team up.
Fahrenholz contacted another friend, a professional designer, to help create the logo, and the team launched pre-sales online. Now, with the first large order filled, Fahrenholz will create the gear at his shop, and Beebe and her husband will package and ship everything out from the gallery.
Beebe said the first order proved to be an incredible success, with the Local Love campaign raising more than $2,000 for the food pantry.
Even more importantly than selling gear, Beebe noted, the campaign has raised awareness for the pantry at a crucial time.
“They are just desperate for donations right now, because when the kids are let out of school, they are not getting supplemental breakfast and lunches they can normally get at school,” said Beebe. “Now, they are home for three meals a day, so there are some families that are having a really hard time providing enough food.”
The campaign has also helped provide some much-needed income for Beebe and Fahrenholz, whose businesses have taken a hit.
“The Local Love campaign has really helped me survive this past month,” said Beebe, adding that for years, small businesses have been feeling the pain from e-commerce giant Amazon. “Too many of our customers got accustomed to not having to spend the time to go into a store. They can just sit at their desk and click, click, click, and spend their money with a corporate giant instead of making an effort to support small businesses whether it’s a gift shop or even a small restaurant."
With the first round of the initiative a success, Beebe said she and Fahrenholz want to build the Local Love campaign into a brand. The two plan to continue the campaign for the pantry and potentially launch a new campaign for a different nonprofit in a few months.
“I knew there was suddenly this heightened awareness of how important small business and local business and local nonprofits such as the food pantry are to the community,” said Beebe. “The timing all just sort of fell into place.”
