JUST A THOUGHT: Community support opportunities abound

By: 
Tammy Pearson

Community support is about much more than shopping locally, though that certainly is key. Remember, those businesses pay property taxes and utilities, employ locals who spend their money here, collect sales taxes that benefit our community, and much, much more.

But supporting your community also means:

• Buying lemonade from the Lions Club

• Attending the Optimist Club’s soup dinner and pie auction

• Enjoying the Business Women’s ice cream social

• Contributing to chamber and economic development groups across the county.

• Attending shows at the Warren Cultural Center and visiting our museums.

• Going to school activities and  making a trip to the concessions stand.

• Stopping at all those fundraising bake sales and stands held by scouts, students, clubs, hospital auxiliary, and organizations of all kinds. You can get popcorn from Boy Scouts, cookies from Girl Scouts, sweet corn from FFA, baked goods from the hospital auxiliary, and the list goes on and on.

• Participating! Attend the pancake suppers, salad luncheons and meals of area churches, civic groups and more. Attend the steak fries of local firefighters. Enjoy omelets at the Iowa Aviation Museum’s Fly-In/Drive-In.

• Golfing at the tournaments that raise funds for the Adair County Health Foundation, Chamber/Main Street and many other great organizations that give to the community.

• Placing bids on silent auctions at the historical museum, the county fair, and many others.

All of these benefit our communities in so many ways.

And yes, you will see me making my purchases at these stands, enjoying salad lunch at the Fontanelle Library, chicken and biscuits at the Historical Museum, beef and pork burgers at numerous activities where the Pork Producers and Cattlemen grill, pancakes at Casey Fun Days, lunch at the Methodist Church for Adair Chuck Wagon Days, the Orient Development and Improvement dinners, terrific meals at the annual agricultural groups’ meetings, chocolate goodies at the Business Women’s Chocolate Affair, and the list goes on and on.

In fact, I don’t miss too many chances to have the great food served at local events. And my waistline is showing it!

I have treasures found during the Cash Mobs held by Greenfield Chamber/Main Street, prizes from golfing, and items purchased in those silent auctions.

I also have a lot of great memories from enjoying the many activities that make a community hustle and bustle.

Much more importantly than my individual participation as an Adair County resident who enjoys the offerings and celebrations of our communities is the contribution that I and my co-workers can make as a newspaper staff.

One of our biggest roles is to promote community and involvement by letting people know what is going on. We do that through our calendar, news briefs, stories, facebook posts and more.

We share highlights through our coverage with stories and photos.

In essence, we help strengthen the community bonds that make small town life so precious.

We do this because we are committed to the success of the communities we serve. If the community succeeds, our business succeeds. If our community succeeds, we, as residents, enjoy the benefits that come with vibrancy, enthusiasm, and pride.

As a business, we sponsor NV by paying for sponsor signs; 4-H with fair awards; Pork Producers, Corn and Soybean Growers and Cattlemen with memberships; Chamber/Main Street and Fontanelle Enterprise Club with memberships; and more.

But we can’t do any of that without also having the support of the community:

The advertisers that recognize the value of a local newspaper, who recognize that its loyal readers will patronize them.

The readers who subscribe because of their devotion to the community, who are looking for  reasons to participate and support others, and  who want to stay informed so they can be the best citizens they can be.

Yes, readers look to the notices to see who is having a bridal shower or baby shower.

Yes, readers look to the advertisements to see what local businesses are offering.

The local newspaper is the biggest bulletin board you can find. A stop to place an ad will  ensure hundreds are reached.

So thank you to those advertisers. Thank you to those who see the value of engaging our readers by placing ads of any size, down to a business card-sized ad for $18 to promote a community event.

While we gladly help promote you, we also greatly appreciate your supporting us. Thank you!

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