‘Share the Love’ this Valentine’s Day
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on public health, mental health and many believe the biggest strain has been on our economy.
Small businesses, restaurants, community organizations and nonprofits alike have been forced to shut down or operate at limited capacity. Business owners are using every bit of their creativity and ingenuity to keep going. It is more important now than ever that we show our love and appreciation for the hard-working people of our community who have borne the economic brunt of the pandemic.
In keeping with Valentine’s Day, I will be “sharing the love” for our community by highlighting small businesses, restaurants, community organizations and nonprofits from the 112th Assembly District based on your nominations.
The governor’s strict lockdown measures have kept our people out of work and fighting to make a living. It is my hope that we can speed up the vaccine distribution statewide, which will speed up our ability to get back in the workplace and jump-start our economy. As we “Share the Love” and highlight our fantastic local businesses, there are other ways to support them in the COVID world.
We can order takeout or delivery from local restaurants, donate to causes that we feel strongly about, highlight local businesses on our social media accounts and most importantly, thank the men and women who make our community thrive. These suggestions might seem minor, but they are exactly what local businesses need to get through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The only way we will get through this time of despair is together.
During the early months of the pandemic, we saw a similar way to engage the community through the “518 Rainbow Hunt.” It allowed children to get outdoors and participate in a scavenger hunt for rainbows that had been drawn all around the community. The activity offered a sense of hope and better days ahead for kids who wanted to get outdoors, and the rainbows often helped promote local businesses, as their pictures were all over social media.
I hope the “Share the Love” initiative will have a similar effect in our community, and I look forward to seeing everyone’s nominations.
In order to “share the love,” I want to hear from you! Please take the time to fill out this survey at tinyurl.com/BestofAD112 or visit my Facebook page at “Assemblywoman Mary
Beth Walsh” so your love and appreciation for a local business may be showcased. In your nomination, you can talk about your favorite small business, restaurant, community organization or nonprofit.
The deadline for submissions will be Valentine’s Day, February 14 and winners will be announced the week of February 15th.
Assemblywoman Walsh represents the 112th Assembly District, which consists of parts of Saratoga and Schenectady counties. For more information, please visit Assemblywoman Walsh’s Official Website.