ANN ARBOR, Mich.– A contribution from the University of Michigan Credit Union’s sixth annual “Shop Local Give Local” campaign will help SOS Community Services respond to 1,300 requests from local families facing food insecurity with groceries from its food pantry. With the help of 100 local businesses, the University of Michigan Credit Union (UMCU) donated $5,000 to SOS Community Services, a Washtenaw County charity that provides comprehensive services to families, individuals, and children to promote housing stability, food security, andfamily self-sufficiency.
Throughout November and December 2021, UMCU matched 1% of the total sales made by its members at participating local businesses, up to a grand total of $5,000, and donated it to SOS Community Services. UMCU members were encouraged to use their Visa credit cards at participating stores, restaurants, and cafes, to keep local dollars in the community during the busiest shopping months of the year.
And with the use of UMCU credit cards, nearly $356,000 local dollars stayed inthe community, the credit union said.
In 2021, SOS Community Services was able to provide meals to 17,406 individuals, or 8,659 households, and distributed 374,815 pounds of food. With the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, SOS Community Serviceshas responded to an increased demand and larger number of first-time visitors to its food pantry. Its food program relies entirely on donations from community members for food, funding, and volunteers. It is a community- based response tohunger.
"We are so glad that our friends at UMCU share our commitment to ending homelessness and hunger in Washtenaw County. Thank you UMCU and thankyou to all the local businesses and their customers who help make our communitya great place to live for everyone,” said Rhonda Weathers, SOS CommunityServices’ Executive Director.
As a philanthropic credit union dedicated to the local community, the purpose of the campaign is to make a difference for an impactful charitable organization while strengthening the relationship between UMCU members and locally ownedbusinesses in the Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Flint, and Dearborn communities.
“I think that when a company like UMCU chooses to focus on the community in the way that they have, it encourages others to follow that lead and really tap intothe great local businesses surrounding them. UMCU has put an important and needed spotlight on local small businesses and given tremendous effort to spreading the word about us. That support means the world to a small business and it's nice to know another company sees you as a valuable asset in thecommunity,” said Jen McPherson, owner of McPherson Local.
Due to the lasting impact of the pandemic on local businesses, strengthening the message of “Shop Local Give Local,” and demonstrating the importance of shopping and dining locally at small businesses was imperative for UMCU. Through partnerships with local chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations, UMCU added several new local restaurants and retailers to its list of participating vendors.
Local businesses that helped make this donation possible include Spun, Found Gallery, Ann Arbor Running Company, 16 Hands, Mudpuddles Toys & Books, Collected Works, Parrish Framing, Bivouac, University Flower Shop, RoosRoast, Downtown Home & Garden, Roeda Studio, Thistle & Bess, Underground Printing, Ten Thousand Villages, Catching Fireflies, Frita Batidos, Le Bon Macaron, Real Seafood Company, The Chop House, Palio, Nicola's Books, Thrive Juicery, BYOC Co., Rock Paper Scissors, Cherry Republic, People's Food Co-op, Bon Bon Bon,Black Diesel Coffee, Lunch Room Bakery & Café, Detroit Street Filling Station, YORK Food + Drink, The Earle Restaurant, Lewis Jewelers, Seva Restaurant, Rocky's Great Outdoors, Blom Meadworks, Latina Restaurant, Enchanted Oven, Decode Escape Rooms, Apples & Oranges, McPherson Local, Ferne Boutique,Fireside Coffee Co, Carrigan Café, Flint Crepe Company, Vault of Midnight, SHIFT, Priceless Preservation, Shumaker Inc, The Split Mitt, Oz's Music, Brush Alley Skateshop, Bauman's Running & Walking Shop, Comma Bookstore & Social Hub, Ashley's, Flint Coffee Company, Complete Runner, Regents Field, Abracadabra Jewelry, Rocket, Fizz, Dearborn Music, Detroit Cookie Co, The Write Touch, Argus Farm Stop, Hoffman's Deco Deli & Café, Comet Coffee, Wears Like New, Go Blow, A Blow Dry Bar, Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, Footprints,The M Den, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, Adventure Ink, 501 Bar & Grill, Miss Kim, Dobos Int'l. - Le Dog Soup, Café Rhema, The Cobblestone Rose, Gutman Gallery, Big City Bakery and Ice Cream, Detroit Book City, Dixboro General Store, Booksweet, Underground Sounds, Zion Well, Black Stone Bookstore, Corner Brewery, Go Ice Cream, Ypsilanti Running Co, Sidetrack Bar and Grill, MAIZ Mexican Cantina, The Rocket, Bellflower Restaurant, Hyperion Coffee Company,Brookies Café, Stone & Spoon, OJ's Beauty Supply, 24th Cheesecakerie, Bridge Community Café, Cultivate Coffee and Tap House.
“At UMCU, we are all about people helping people, and with local businesses and charities still dealing with the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, we know it is essential to encourage our members to support our community however they can,” said Julie Wigley, UMCU VP-brand and communitydevelopment. “Through ‘Shop Local Give Local’, we grow stronger relationshipsbetween the local charities, local businesses, andUMCU members. We believe it is such a success because everyone is working towards a shared common goal of making a positive impact in our community. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the campaign and made this amazing donation to SOS Community Services possible.”
In recognition of its members and participating local businesses, five local participating businesses were randomly chosen to win $500 each, and in addition to contributing to the donation, every time members used their UMCU Visa credit cards at the partner vendors during the promotional period, they were entered for the chance to be one of five lucky members to win $1,000.
RoosRoast, Corner Brewery, McPherson Local, Fireside Coffee Company, and Wears Like New were the local businesses randomly selected as raffle winners