Are you staying home except for trips to the grocery store or the pharmacy? I ache for our small businesses, and I want to do what I can to support them.

Imagine waking up a month or two from now and finding that a favorite shop or two or three is no longer in business. That would be devastating for the business and our community.

Before I started reading articles and emails about how to support our businesses and nonprofits, I did a few things on my own. I mailed a check to our housekeeper and told her to stay home. When I received the email from StageDoor Players saying they were putting the season on hold indefinitely, I followed their suggestion to make a tax-free donation.

I called the Enchanted Forest and asked to purchase a gift certificate. I discovered the Enchanted Forest is also offering curbside service. Call ahead and tell Kay what you want, and she’ll package it and put it outside the door.

Then, I got an email from the Ark Pet Spa & Hotel that reminded me it’s not only the businesses that are suffering but also their employees. Yes, it would be nice if businesses could pay their workers even when they can’t work, but the business is already under financial pressure, with no money coming in.

No matter how well funded a business may be, their business plan doesn’t allow for weeks — perhaps months — with no customers. No matter how much money an individual may have in their savings, they can’t pay their rent, their utilities and other living expenses for very long without a paycheck.

To the extent you are financially able to do so, I hope you’ll consider some of these options:

• Call ahead to place a Crema order at 678-731-9020 for pick up. Go online or call to purchase a gift card. Download the Crema app.

• Order carryout or delivery from restaurants.

• Donate to Spruill Arts — text “spruillarts” to phone number 56651. Follow the prompts to make and pay for your donation.

• Donate to Stage Door Players at this link https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Stage%20Door%20Players&epa=SEARCH_BOX

• Call the Enchanted Forest to order a box of fun activities for your kids — Galexie Glister pots are popular — or scented hand sanitizer (my favorite is lavender) 770-399-1923. Kay will meet you curbside with these items and more. (And yes, she still has copies of my cozy mystery, “Bells, Tails & Murder.)

• Shop online. When I had cataract surgery, my eye doctor recommended I get new mascara. It was so easy to order it from Nordstroms and have it delivered.

• Call The Ark Pet Spa & Hotel to request a gift certificat— 10 percent discount until March 31. They have physical certificates, or if you have an account with them, they can place a credit on your account to be used when they reopen.

• Order skincare, candles and other gifts from Angela Michael Skincare & Spa at 678-731-9611 and they’ll ship it to you free.

• Call Amanda at Under the Pecan Tree 678-694-8704 to pick up your order curbside. Puzzles are hot items right now, and Amanda will Facetime with you to help you pick out other items.

With libraries closed, you may be ordering or downloading books like crazy from Amazon. Now may be the time to get to know some Dunwoody authors. Consider ordering an ebook or paperback by Kathy Wilson Florence, K.G. Fletcher, or Julia McDermott.

Also, look for Book One in my mystery series “Bells, Tails & Murder.” Book Two, “Pumpkins, Paws & Murder,” will be available on Amazon March 27.

Please join me in staying safe and healthy and also supporting our community!

Author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her books on Amazon and at the Enchanted Forest. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com.

Kathy is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her books, “Lord Banjo the Royal Pooch” and “The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday,” at the Enchanted Forest and on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/KathyManosPennAuthor/, and/or read her blogs at https://theinkpenn.blogspot.com.

Load comments