Spoke+Blossom Magazine | Fall 2020 | Issue #13

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“WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER”

SHOP SMALL FOR BIG REWARDS Words by Kristin Holbrook | Photo courtesy of Two Skirts

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oday, I went to the local bookstore to

our customers. I encouraged my social media

purchase the summer reading literature

followers to “get-dressed” for dinner at least

for my kids. When asked, “Why not go to the

once a week, both for personal self-esteem and

library?” I replied, “To support local business.”

a chance to win Two Skirts credit. I highlighted

It’s something that has been important to me for

local restaurants that were open for take-out

years, and even more so now.

and focused on designers who produced small

I live in a small town and co-own a small

collections, were sustainable, designed in the

business. I feel lucky every day that locals,

U.S. and were overall nice people. I believe that

second home-owners and tourists have made

what goes around comes around.

shopping at Two Skirts a tradition for almost 20

years. And, I never felt more grateful for that

Telluride businesses and residents were doing

support than over the past few months during

their part to give back to this community and

COVID-19.

make a difference. From donating hand-made

It turns out that generosity spreads. Many

When the ski areas and businesses were

masks and provisions to the Food Bank, to

forced to close in March, I decided to get creative

providing lunch for school children in need and

and give people a reason to shop and a cause to

delivering meals to the elderly, to teaching free

support. I created a fundraiser for the Telluride

yoga classes on Instagram to get people moving

Medical Center COVID-19 Response Fund by

and in touch with one another, almost everyone

donating 10 percent of my Telluride sweater

was coming out for the good of the small town

sales. I was overwhelmed by the response from

— all the while maintaining “safer at home”

followers near and far who purchased sweaters

protocol and waiting out the storm.

and made donation matches. We raised 10,000

dollars, kept things moving at Two Skirts and

shops and restaurants opening their doors and

dressed women around the country. Supporters

returning to a “new normal.” But, the future

realized we had to come together to make a

is still uncertain, and it will take a continued

difference or we might not survive the viral

conscious effort to keep small towns thriving.

storm.

Awareness needs to spread that spending

We started to see the light in June with

“We are all in this together” became the

locally generates sales tax revenues for roads,

rally cry across the nation and locally. To me,

drinking water and open space. Eating and

this meant promoting and uniting with other

buying supplies locally cuts down on the

small folks. I focused my social media on the

carbon footprint created by shipping, from the

independents that I carry at Two Skirts, and

packaging to the transportation fuel. There is

vice versa. Designer friends and I would not

an education process that needs to continue to

only fundraise for bigger causes, but work

circulate in the minds of consumers about how

together to generate giveaways and contests for

to make meaningful purchases.


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