Union County Chamber encourages spending local

LA GRANDE – (Information provided by Union County Chamber of Commerce) The Union County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the launch of its newest program – the Gift-UC Community Gift Card. The purchase of one eGift card allows the recipient to use this card at any participating location! The Chamber’s goal is to encourage residents to shop locally – and the Gift-UC Card is a community-based digital card, making it fun and easy to keep local spending local.  

The Gift-UC eGift Card can be purchased through the Chamber’s website (www.VisitUnionCounty.org/Gift-UC) and used at any of the participating shops throughout the County! You can write a personal message and send the eGift Card to family, friends, and coworkers – all via email, text, or a physical copy (the Chamber is even happy to print it for you).  Recipients can then spend it at any of the many participating merchants throughout Union County. The Gift-UC can be saved on your phone – or printed! This time of year, it’s the perfect office gift, family and friend gift, and stocking stuffer!  Giving back to our community makes enjoying the holidays even easier! 

Participating in this program means supporting the heart of what makes our community unique. Studies have shown local independent retailers recirculate 47% of their revenue back into the community, while only 14% of national chains’ revenue stays in the community. More dramatically, restaurants recirculate 73% of their revenue back into the community, versus only 30% for national chains. By supporting local businesses, more money continues circulating through the local community—this is achieved through a combination of profits paid to local business owners, wages paid to local workers, goods and services procured locally for internal use or resale, and charitable giving within the community.  

“Right now, the important thing for the Chamber is to get as many businesses signed up for the program as possible,” Suzannah Moore-Hemann, Chief Executive Officer said. “It’s a great opportunity and makes it so easy to support local businesses – one gift card is usable at so many places. It’s just an exciting way for us to support our local community.”  The program is the modernized version of the Chamber’s former “Chamber Ca$h” program. 

If you’re looking for a way to do some good or want to know how you can help the community you love, send a Gift-UC eGift Card today! For more information or to participate as a merchant in the program, please contact the Union County Chamber of Commerce – more information is available by contacting the Chamber Director (541-963-8588, Director@VisitUnionCounty.org). Sign up or send a Gift-UC by visiting www.VisitUnionCounty.org/gift-uc/. 

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