Shop Local Ellsworth Initiative Launched

For Immediate Release 

Date: November 9, 2020

Program Contact: Sonya Connelly, Sonya.Connelly@HealthyAcadia.org, (207) 610-9895

Media Contact: Tracey Carlson, (207) 667-7171 Ext. 112 or Tracey@HealthyAcadia.org 

Shop Local Ellsworth Initiative Launched

Ellsworth. Healthy Acadia, City of Ellsworth, Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce, and Heart of Ellsworth are partnering in an effort to inspire Ellsworth residents and visitors to shop locally and safely this holiday season. The eight-week, “Shop Local Ellsworth” initiative, which began on November 9, 2020, and will continue through December 31, aims to help Ellsworth business owners navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by inspiring shoppers to patronize local merchants and to follow CDC safety guidelines for slowing the spread of the virus.

The collaborative effort is a result of a KeepME Healthy grant that enabled the partners to hire a part-time outreach coordinator to connect directly with Ellsworth merchants. Sonya Connelly, hired through Healthy Acadia for the project, met with individual business owners and Ellsworth project partners this fall to identify specific challenges and discuss tools and supports needed to help them successfully navigate the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. The resounding message gleaned from these conversations was the need for the entire community to work together to create a strong and healthy Ellsworth, which gave rise to “Shop Local Ellsworth.”  

The “Shop Local Ellsworth” initiative will include promotional campaigns across social media and on local radio and television stations focused on the importance of shopping local, now and always. The partners hope to inspire support of “Early Bird,” “Shop Small Saturday,” and other COVID-19-safe local shopping events. They will be spotlighting Ellsworth businesses, sharing stories and anecdotes about local businesses, and our communities' passion for shopping local. The campaign also includes an educational component aimed at engaging all community members in efforts to slow the spread of the virus, including wearing a mask or face covering, maintaining physical distancing, frequent hand washing, minimizing time spent indoors in a group setting, and providing adequate ventilation for indoor spaces.

The partners encourage all community members to get involved in one or more of the following ways:

●      Repost, Repost, Repost: Share the “Shop Local Ellsworth” social media posts. This will help more people to hear the “Shop Local Ellsworth” message.

●      Reach out with your story as a passionate local shopper, share your favorite local business, or if you’re a business owner, share about your journey supporting the local economy.

●      Be an advocate for shopping local. Together we make our community strong and healthy.   

●      Shop Ellsworth businesses. Our actions speak for us.

For more information and to share stories, ideas, and inspiration around shopping local please contact Sonya Connelly at Sonia.Connelly@HealthyAcadia.org or (207) 610-9895.

Healthy Acadia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that engages in a broad range of initiatives to build healthier communities and make it easier for people to lead healthy lives across Washington and Hancock counties, Maine. Learn more at www.HealthyAcadia.org.

###