Labor Day isn't just the end of Summer. It's a day meant to honor the working class. As a small business owner, I will forever strive to honor my roots and the working class people who helped me along the way. I do my best to keep my prices reasonable so that working people can afford to shop by my store.
I was lucky to grow up in a blue collar community in the Midwest. My mom was a server and a single mom. My dad owned an auto repair shop for a while when I was young. I used to go to the restaurant where my mom worked in the Summer and help all the servers roll their silver wear and get a free meal or a few bucks to spend. When my mom couldn't afford to pay rent or buy groceries, there was always somebody in our neighborhood that took care of me. My friends didn't have a lot either but if they had anything they always made sure I was taken care of. I learned so much from their generosity. They worked at the local GM, local restaurants, shops, schools and hotels.
When the GM factory closed in our town, it was devastating. Families were forced to move away from the community to find work usually in another state and just like that our neighborhood started to fall apart. Families moved, parents got divorced, and many of my friends were suddenly gone. Crime rose and property values decreased. It had an impact on our schools and our lives. I missed seeing all the factory workers walking home from work with their lunch thermos every day.
Now as a business owner and employer, I understand the importance of small businesses to the community. When big businesses fail or go through layoffs, it has a big impact on the families and communities that depend on them. It's so important to any strong community to support the small businesses and the people that work at them. Please do your part to support your local small businesses when you can. You may be surprised how even a small gesture can make a big difference to the business, the workers and the neighborhood. Small businesses provide jobs, taxes and add to the culture of the community.
To all the working class people who roll up your sleeves to serve others, I salute you. You are giants in my mind.
Thank you and Cheers,
Jennifer