United Way Asks Store Owners and Holiday Shoppers to Make an Impact

The first annual Shop for An Impact Days, taking place December 9-11, invites community members to give back through holiday shopping at locally owned stores.

shop for an impactDecember 5, 2022 (Kenosha, WI) – United Way of Kenosha County (UWKC), mobilizing the caring power of the community, is excited to bring Kenosha County together to Live UNITED during the first annual Shop for an Impact. From Friday, December 9 - Sunday, December 11, store owners and shoppers alike are invited to give back to our community. Purchases at local shops will generate donations benefiting United Way and the nonprofit’s community initiatives.

Among the participating stores are EQUINOX Botanical Boutique and House of Nutrition and Wellness. The complete list is still in progress but will be updated on UWKC’s website. Stores are encouraged to register as a participating location for the shopping event in advance to be included in promotional materials. Business owners can also select the donation percentage from each purchase that will be contributed. Additionally, donations totaling 365 dollars or greater could qualify businesses for sponsorship benefits through UWKC’s newest giving initiative: 365 Small Business Circle.

“Being a small brick and mortar business, I know the impact working together as a community can make,” says Maria Caravati, owner of EQUINOX Botanical Boutique. “We all can make a difference, even if just one small step at a time.”

UWKC is grateful to have such strong support from the business sector as well as individual community members. This support helps fund work relating to creating equitable opportunities and access to health, education, and financial stability. UWKC supports the Kenosha community through programs like Free Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Readers Are Leaders, and Community Investment Grant funding, which partners with other local nonprofits to help support their vital programs and services.

“Local dollars can truly have a local impact in Kenosha County,” says Marisa Markowski, resource development manager at United Way of Kenosha County. “You can make a difference with your holiday shopping by making purchases at participating Shop for an Impact businesses, which will donate a percentage of sales from qualifying purchases to United Way. We appreciate the support from our community and look forward to shopping with YOU!”

Shop for An Impact was brought to life in part from the support of Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce, The Lakeshore Business Improvement District, and Visit Kenosha.

“The Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to see more collaboration in our wonderful city,” says Dave Strash, President/CEO of Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce. “Businesses helping businesses and nonprofits … it doesn’t get much better than that. It is so exciting to see the Downtown Lakeshore BID work with our downtown merchants to drive business, and in turn, benefit the United Way of Kenosha County. This shopping event is just one more example of why Kenosha is the best place to live, work and do business!”

To register your store as a participating business or to learn more, including which stores are participating, contact Marisa Markowski by phone at (262) 671-2208 or email at mmarkowski@kenoshaunitedway.org or visit: https://www.kenoshaunitedway.org/shop

To view this press release as a PDF, please click here.