Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce’s Michelle Mikitish, left, executive director, and Brandi Bartush, administrator/events coordinator, are promoting Small Business Saturday through the Share Joy Shop Small campaign for the week leading up to Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Brandi Bartush, Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce, administrator/special events coordinator, delivers the Shop Small Business package to Giner Renfer of Valley Meat and Deli, Avoca. The chamber along with four other Luzerne Co. chambers are promoting Small Business Saturday this week. Small Business Saturday is Nov. 28.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON – Small Business Saturday will be taking on a different approach in 2020 amidst a worldwide pandemic.
Local chambers – including the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) – are doing their part to ensure a safe day of shopping.
Small Business Saturday partnered with American Express along with Chambers of Commerce in delivering promotional packages to local businesses.
Luzerne County has taken the initiative in creating Luzerne County Local, a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of choosing local goods and services when making purchasing decisions. The funding for the program is by Luzerne County and The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
The CARES Act, is a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 116th U.S. Congress and signed into law on March 27, 2020, in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
The purpose of the Luzerne County Local program is to urge shoppers to buy locally from retail to experts and agencies.
GPCC’s Michelle Mikitish, executive director, and Brandi Bartush, administrator/events coordinator, will be promoting Small Business Saturday through the Share Joy Shop Small campaign for this week leading up to Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28 by delivering promotional materials for the campaign.
According the Mikitish, any business participating in the Luzerne County Ready Pledge means they meet all federal, state, and local public health guidelines ensuring consumer safety from the coronavirus.
“If a business takes the pledge then they are Luzerne County Local having cleaned their establishment and made the commitment to follow the guidelines,” Mikitish said. “We want to tell the public these businesses are safe, safe to shop with, safe to visit, call or communicate with, but let’s do our very, very best to spend our dollars locally this holiday season.”
Consumers can go to the Luzerne County Local website (luzernecountylocal.org) to the latest list of merchants participating in the program. Officials are asking consumers to check the website often as participating merchants are updated frequently.
Mikitish said merchants interested in taking the pledge to participate in the program may go to luzernecountylocal.org to register.
