Community leaders put out the plea for shoppers to support local businesses all last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the local community answered in a big way.
During separate interviews with KVOE News, Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce President Jeanine McKenna and Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods both took time to speak about the overwhelming support the community has shown for smaller retail stores in the Emporia community over the past year. According to McKenna, the Chamber managed to sell over $117,500 in Shop Emporia gift certificates over the past year.
McKenna says every dollar spent on those certificates has helped keep the doors of local businesses open since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She says the community should feel very proud of this accomplishment and encourages residents not to let the momentum die in 2021.
Woods says Main Street entered new territory in gift certificate sales this year with over $70,000 worth of certificates being purchased in 2020.
McKenna tells KVOE News, the certificates are a great purchase as they are accepted at all businesses that are Main Street members — almost the entire downtown area — and they allow you to set aside dollars that will specifically go to benefit the community.
You can purchase gift certificates either at the Emporia Main Street Office at 727 Commercial St. or the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce located at 719 Commercial.
