Heading into the holiday season we want to highlight a client of ours that focuses on giving back, Caring Kitchen. Every year they host a free Thanksgiving meal open to all Champaign County residents. They provide much more for the county than just one meal though. They offer emergency shelter services, a food pantry, a soup kitchen, tutoring, clothing and more all throughout the year. They are an outreach ministry in Champaign County that strives to advocate for and to provide services without discrimination to people in need.
 
This year, more than ever, our neighbors need us. Help them have a wonderful day with their family this Thanksgiving by donating a food item or monetary gift to the Caring Kitchen. Here is a list of items they are still collecting:

• Turkeys
• ​Poultry Broth
• Instant mashed potatoes
• Canned green beans*
• Canned sweet potatoes*
• Celery
• Stove Top stuffing (any flavor)
• Canned cranberry sauce*
• Prebaked reheatable dinner Rolls
• Pumpkin pies

* The big cans are great!

If you are able to donate any of the items listed above, please drop off by Friday, November 20th to Caring Kitchen at 300 Miami St. in Urbana. You can also donate a monetary gift by going to their website and looking at the donations page. There you can also find a list of ongoing items they are currently in need of. Keep an eye out again around Christmas for another meal donation collection, as well as food boxes they put together for local families.
 
If you would like to attend the Thanksgiving Day meal, or participate as a volunteer, call 937-653-8443. They will have carryout times from 11:00am-12:30pm and deliveries from 10:30am-12:30pm on Thursday, November 26th. Please help us spread the word by sharing with your friends and family so we can make this holiday season special for all of our neighbors here in Champaign County.

The Holiday shopping season is quickly approaching! This year is going to be a little different from any year before, but there are things you can do to make sure your store is prepared for this shopping season. Here are five things you should consider adding to your holiday plan:
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1. Replicate Your In-Store Experience Elsewhere

 
With a lot of retail shops having limited space for customers this year, people have started to get creative as to where shopping can take place. You could set up a tent outside your store to have more room and show off your product to people walking by. Also, consider expanding into an empty space for the season. If there is a building in town for rent, see if you can rent it month to month and have a second location to double your traffic.
 

1. Update Your Online Store

 
Keeping your online store up-to-date is going to be very important this year. If there are any upgrades for tracking inventory you have been putting off now is the time to make those happen. Anything that will help you keep your online store running smoothly will be beneficial. More shoppers than ever before are going to be shopping online exclusively this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still shop local!
 

1. Extended Hours

 
The holiday season is a time when a lot of retail shops extend their hours anyway, but you might want to consider how you add those hours to your schedule. This spring and summer we saw many stores open early for seniors and immune compromised individuals. If you want to attract those buyers, it might be good to have some morning hours specifically for them, along with later evening hours for people who work 9-5.
 

1. Start Earlier than Before

 
If you are reading this, you should already have an idea of what your holiday shopping season will look like for your retail location. People are going to start shopping early and trying to beat the rush. This even applies to online shopping because there have been many reports that shipping this year is going to take much longer than normal. Don’t wait until after Thanksgiving to start your Christmas marketing!
 

1. Prepare Curbside Pickup Option

 
With shipping times taking longer, store having less capacity, and people still socially distancing, having a curbside pickup option can change the game! People can shop locally and get the product the same day all from the comfort of their home and car. It is the best of both worlds, bringing online shopping and shopping local together in the perfect way.
 
If your business hasn’t started thinking about how to make the most of the holiday season yet hopefully there are some ideas on this list that can help. We hope everyone has an amazing holiday season and we encourage everyone to think about shopping local. More money spent local will stay local and it will help our neighbors all have a happy holiday season!