“Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” Helen Keller

While driving down Elm Street in Kingston, you can’t help but notice the endearing, yet classic, meandering streets through the quintessential Southern New England village. The roadside is dotted with beautiful antique homes, stone walls and picket fences, and backed by woodlands and river marsh. You will also likely notice a white antique home perched upon a steep hill with a welcoming sign beckoning onlookers with dragonflies and the words, “Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center.” In our modern-day society, with signs saying a myriad of things to us from stiff-upper-lip business names to noticeably abrasive advertisement slogans, seeing the words “Hope Floats” leaves a lingering curiosity as to what business such lovely words belong to.
This gentle name and sentiment are the physical face of an even lovelier purpose housed in the walls of the 1844 farmhouse, carriage house, and barn. The dragonfly slogan was designed by Amanda Brack who lost her brother, Mike, in 2002. She drew a picture of a girl on a swing, surrounded by three dragonflies for her grieving mother and the image fast became an important symbol for her family.
Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center was born in 2009 from the love and grief of Denise and Ken Brack after the loss of their son, Mike at age 18. When looking for ways to work through and find support for their loss, they realized there were no places offering what they needed and hoped to find. They began to envision a center specializing in and providing services for people working through the grief -a center that did not feel clinical in nature, but comforting and cozy…like home.
“That was hugely important to the Brack’s -that this place felt like a sort of home for people who were grieving,” explains Elizabeth McKenna, Executive Director of Hope Floats. Sitting in the cheerful office with McKenna and Program and Event Coordinator, Emily Sarney, it is easy to feel a rather “warm-blanket energy” about the place. “We have the main house, the carriage house, and the barn where all of our groups and workshops meet. It is also where the offices of our counselors are and where we have yoga.” The grounds also have a Memory Garden, and labyrinth, and a path to the Jones River. “It is such a peaceful place,” says McKenna.
It is not just the buildings or the grounds, however, that make Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center special -it is what happens here that changes people’s lives for the better. “Grief and loss are a part of life for everyone, yet grieving still has a stigma about it,” Sarney points out, “Here we work hard to destigmatize the mourning process and to help people find healthy coping mechanisms to move forward in their lives. We have programs tailored to groups and individuals that help us do that.”
Hope Floats offers separate groups for children, teens, and parents/caregiver adults who are dealing with death-related loss of a parent, caregiver, loved one, or sibling. These programs help participants process their grief through creative activities like arts and crafts, book clubs, games, workshops, and camps with the guidance and help of professionally trained support staff. Families who come to Hope Floats are able to connect with others dealing with similar circumstances in the home-like environment. Parents and caregivers can talk about common issues, concerns, and ways to help their children cope. McKenna adds, “Mike’s Club is also free for children 5-18 years old. The Brack’s wanted to remove any financial barriers during an already difficult time in people’s lives.” These uniquely tailored support groups meet every other week during the school year and are led by Hope Floats staff, clinicians and trained volunteers.
The professionals at Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center understand that varying ages and groups process grief differently, and they accommodate as many facets of loss and mourning as they can to make sure there is a safe, therapeutic place for everyone to focus on their own healing process or connect with people experiencing similar situations. With support groups for all ages for those experiencing things like infant and pregnancy loss, loss of young children, newly bereaved parents, loss of siblings, losses to suicide, loss of a parent, loss of a spouse, single father groups, loss of a child or loved one to addiction, and disenfranchised loss from divorce or other family and life tragedies, Hope Floats has grown exponentially to cast a support net over a wide range of situations.
In fact, it is not just the local community who find what they are in need of here while in mourning. “We actually have people come from out of state to participate in camps and programs,” says McKenna, “We have recently had people from Connecticut, New Hampshire, and even Illinois that we have been able to help on their healing journey.”
Each room inside the main house at Hope Floats is decorated and equipped for different age groups. Young children are surrounded by arts and crafts stations, colorful murals painted on the walls, and cheerful décor. The teen-support group rooms are designed in a more sophisticated fashion and lined with giant bean-bags and posters with positive messages about self-acceptance and esteem. Adult group rooms feel like walking into a peaceful room at a friend’s house with plenty of comfortable seating, historical touches relevant to the antique house, and a welcoming kitchen. In every room, books on loss and grief line the shelves that are age appropriate to the room they are kept in. Hope Floats, indeed, feels like home.
In addition to support groups, Hope Floats offers various camps throughout the year. One of the most popular programs is a four-week summer camp for children, teens, and families coping with death-related loss. “People can come enjoy pizza, vendors, and outdoor activities at the camps,” McKenna says “Children will also have the opportunity to engage in expressive-arts activities focused on processing grief and loss. Art is a great channel for grief. If you ask a child, ‘What color is your sadness?’ or ‘Can you draw something you remember about your mom?’, they are able to get that out on paper or canvas and it is incredibly beneficial.”
While the children and teens participate in their various groups, the parenting adults are able to participate in a peer-facilitated support group for those who have subsequently lost a partner or spouse. Registration is by the week to accommodate individual schedules and routines that are often difficult to return to following loss.
One of the most beneficial and relied on ways to work through and manage grief is the many yoga classes offered in the barn at Hope Floats. Held in a sun-filled, calming space., participants at Hope Floats can explore various kinds of yoga -Kripalu yoga, Hatha yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Yin to Slow Flow Yoga. These classes are taught by instructors who specialize in leading healing groups.
Day long retreats are also offered multiple times a year and are specific to mothers/parents who have lost children, those affected by suicide loss, people dealing with cancer and other illness, and a retreat for caregivers. Hope Floats also hosts special Mother’s Day retreats and retreats for military family members. Retreats are holistically based and often include meditation, stretching and breathing exercises, yoga, group discussions and mini-healing treatments given by certified practitioners. Treatment offerings include Reiki, Healing Touch, chair massage and more. Participants are able to explore the peaceful gardens and trails and enjoy a catered lunch.
The retreats at Hope Floats offer opportunities for self-care and the chance to meet others dealing with similar situations. “Grief can be such an isolating feeling,” McKenna notes, “It is really important that we counter that feeling of being alone with connections -especially with others who can relate to how you feel. Our retreats and groups and workshops really bring people together and they often form long-lasting friendships.”
One of the most utilized and popular offerings at Hope Floats are Family Nights. Family Night is for children of all ages and their families. A pizza dinner will be served, then children and adults will be invited to work together on a fun family art project that is meant to be as enjoyable as it is therapeutic. Family nights are led by Hope Floats staff, clinicians, and trained volunteers.
With all of the recreational and group-centered activities offered, it is important to note that Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center also provides on-site, insurance-accepting counselors. On-site Licensed Clinicians/Social Workers, Master’s Level Clinicians, and Master’s Level Interns are accepting new clients for one-on-one counseling services at Hope Floats. “All of our professional counselors are focused on providing grief counseling, anxiety and depression management, life stressor and transition management, and helping to navigate other life challenges that require extra support,” McKenna explains. The House of Hope does not stop at providing learning and assistance on their homesite, they are also bringing grief management strategies and preparedness to the community.
The Hope Floats Education and Awareness Response Team (H.E.A.R.T) offers training for teachers and staff on grief education and awareness, and provides resources and techniques on how to help grieving children at school and in the classroom. “Oftentimes, following the death of a loved one or family member, the first point of contact outside of the grieving home is at school with a teacher,” McKenna says. “So, we are providing training for teachers and administrators to recognize and manage the grief process in school-age children.”
Spearheading the grief education and outreach program is Maureen Walsh, NPFT and Education Outreach Director. “The H.E.A.R.T. program is an eight-week, free course that trains teachers and administrators how to best support students dealing with loss and grief. I believe we have now been to 30 schools to train them on grief management,” Sarney points out, “In fact, some of them have asked us to come back with more. They finished the eight-week course and they want to continue it so we are working to develop an extended program.” Grief training is also offered for a fee for LICSW’s, LMHC’s, and community members.
On the horizon for 2026, Hope Floats is working on launching a program directed towards senior citizens called Healing Hearts. Grief education programs will be taken to senior centers, nursing homes, COA’s, and anywhere in the community where seniors are managing the losses that come with aging. “We plan to offer a range of things from knitting groups, writing opportunities, crafts to take the mind off of things and reignite purpose, and even quilting -anything seniors enjoy doing but we will also focus on helping them with the grief and loss that aging brings,” says McKenna.
With all of these offered opportunities and expansion and demand on the rise, it is important to know that Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center relies on grants, fundraisers, and donations to keep services free and readily available to the public. Some workshops and retreats incur a minimal cost that can either be refunded to the participant or accepted as a donation to the center. The two main fundraisers for Hope Floats to keep aware of are the 5K Memory Walk and the Hope Floats Golf Classic. The 5K, golf tournament, and dinner bring in sustaining funds not only to provide free services and events for participants, but also to maintain the various buildings and grounds at Hope Floats. “There is a lot to think about,” says McKenna, “We are always focused on the management of the programs here but we also have to keep up with home and property repairs.” Future plans for an additional garden this spring to be installed by the local Boy Scouts will add to the already well-landscaped, tranquil grounds where visitors and guests can wander and explore.
Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center is a beacon of light to many in the community. Untold amounts of comfort and guidance have taken root there and helped people branch out and eventually flourish in their communities and personal lives after loss. McKenna explains, “Almost all of our staff and volunteers here first came as participants. We experienced first-hand how important this work is and we came to love this place so much that we never wanted to leave.”
Though building a legacy from grief is hardly what anyone wishes for themselves, it is a skill all can benefit from because loss is part of living -nobody is immune. Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center gave comfort, strength, and community to over 1,300 people last year. It is said that grief is just love with no place to go, but at Hope Floats, the Bracks have given their love and grief for their son, Michael, and the love and grief of all who enter this sacred space, a place to rest, heal, and grow; they have given the community a home that houses the love of thousands of healing hearts.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” This thought-provoking sentiment can also apply to individuals. Thankfully, amidst the many overwhelming and sad things happening in the world, there are “great” individuals doing amazing things to make life better for both people and creatures. One of these renegades resisting indifference and callousness is Vicki Alberti of Schoolhouse Farm in Plympton -and her new best friend, Journey.
Alberti is no stranger to second chances. In addition to rebuilding her life as a single mother, remarrying after finding a second chance at love, and even living in a charming old schoolhouse given new purpose as a residential home, Alberti has a soft spot for seeing that animals, particularly horses, are also set back on the track to happiness through the right kind of love and care.
Several horses before Journey have come to live life to the fullest at Schoolhouse Farm. One glance at the picture-perfect scene will make you want to live here, too. The antique schoolhouse is surrounded by various lush gardens, sprawling pasture, and framed by dense New England forests laden with horse trails and biodiverse wetlands. The barn and farmyard outbuildings are tidy and well-kept, and the animals healthy and active. Many local bands and groups use this magical place as a backdrop for concerts and events -the best performances are enhanced by the nearby farm animals chiming in mid-songs which makes everyone laugh. In short, if you were a horse -or any farm animal for that matter, you would be lucky, indeed, to find a home with the Alberti’s.
Alberti has been doting on and caring for horses her whole life. With a father who kept and showed horses, Alberti learned from a young age what goes into their care and training. When she found herself living on the perfect farm for horses, she didn’t hesitate to offer up her home. “I decided to foster for Stone Valleys Ray of Hope Equine Rescue. One of my fosters, Tristan, was just a scared weanling and I got to raise him for seven months until he was adopted by a family with a 14 year-old girl on a 30-acre farm in Michigan. It was a pleasure to see how well his story turned out.”
Two other fosters, an Arabian mare and her colt (Dani and Trevor) were looked after with love and responsible care until adopted out to happy homes. Most of the time, these beautiful animals arrive at Schoolhouse Farm scared, abused, neglected, and from environments completely opposite to the one they find with the Alberti’s. In order to understand exactly what these animals are being spared from when they are taken in by agencies and people like the Alberti’s, you have to better understand the horse auction and harvest industry in our country and our border-sharing countries.
Horse rescue programs in the United States have a massive undertaking in the effort to save as many mistreated, low-end auctioned, slaughterhouse-bound horses as possible each year. In 2024, 19,195 American horses were shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter because there are no slaughterhouses in the US. These slaughterhouses are killing the received horses and harvesting their meat for human consumption overseas in Asia and Europe. These ill-fated horses come from irresponsible breeding practices, owners who are unable to care for them, abusive situations where the animals are seized by authorities, retired sport horses, and horses with injuries that make them unrideable. Alberti explains, “Being unrideable is a real danger for horses because that is usually what people want them for. They don’t see them as potential pets like a dog or cat, just for companionship and love. Horses have a lot of expectations on them.”
When a horse is no longer with an owner, unless they are prestigiously bred and sought after, they are usually auctioned off at low-end horse auctions or sold privately via community advertisements. People, who seem to not mind profiting off the demise and abuse of innocent animals, called “kill buyers” regularly attend these auctions and out-bid legitimate prospective horse owners who could give these animals a second chance at life. “There are a lot of people who only care about profit -not the animals,” Alberti says when asked why such a career exists, “They see horses as disposable food product and nothing more.”
Once the kill buyer purchases the horses, they either attempt to sell them off at another auction, or send them off to places to be held until they are transported to international slaughterhouses. If a horse is not purchased and loaded onto a slaughterhouse transport, they are met with anything but a quick, humane end. The journey there is so unsafe, unregulated, and carelessly executed that many horses die enroute from injury, dehydration, and exposure.
The slaughterhouses also usually lack oversight or regulations and thousands of often unvaccinated, ill animals are kept in tight, loud, and upsetting conditions that frighten and overstimulate these sensory-enhanced creatures. Horses are large “flight” animals that can sense when another horse is in distress or suffering and their instinct is to flee. This, in addition to the advanced psychological nature and powerful stature of horses, means the slaughterhouse methods render humane methods of ending a horse’s life impossible -humane being veterinarian administered euthanasia. Weakened horses are forced into chutes in masses and then subjected to ineffective mechanical killing devices.
With all this heavy information in mind, it is also important to be aware that there are a lot of people trying to do the right thing and lessen these tragic outcomes. Over 500 organizations and networks in the U.S. operate with the sole intention of saving, rehabbing, and properly adopting out these abandoned and endangered animals. These are people dedicated to tracking slaughter-bound horses and intervening before they are shipped off by either purchasing them (ridiculously referred to as posting their bail -indicative that the horse has done some wrong) or posting their locations and images online for people to try to claim online before they are gone.
Once the endangered horses are taken in by these rescue organizations, they often require immense amounts of medical and emotional care and attention -a daunting feat in terms of the finances and energy required. According to the Animal Welfare Institute, it can cost anywhere from $10,000-35,000 a month to run a horse rescue. The cost of hay, feed, vet care, farriers, facility upkeep, and rehabilitation requires intense marketing skills, grants, and private funding through community support. They also rely on people like Alberti to offer fostering in healthy environments until the agency finds a safe and legitimate adopting customer.
Being an expert in horse care, handling, and now experienced with the fostering process, Alberti was now dreaming of having a rideable horse to keep as her own. Her beloved mare, Pearl, was getting old and was no longer rideable. Then, in June, her dream came about in an unexpected way. Aberti faced a health issue earlier this year that caused her and her husband, Dave, to have to forgo a much-anticipated, rarely indulged in cruise vacation. While home feeling unwell and sad to miss the trip, Alberti was scrolling through Facebook recuse sites when suddenly a picture of Journey came up. “I stopped and immediately fell in love. Those eyes! Those ears! He was adorable. I had to have him. I just heard my inner voice tell me he was the one, so I trusted my instincts and went for it.”
That said, in addition to the beautiful features and a call to the soul, Journey was suffering from severe starvation. He was found by a woman in North Carolina who networks with Last Chance for Kill Pen Horses. She intervenes before horses are taken to slaughter by posting their pictures and information online. If a particular horse is spoken for, she offers to hold them in quarantine until the adoptive owners can have the horse transported to its new home. After investigating, Alberti learned that Journey had no documentation, he had been through two low-end auctions already, had serious dental issues from complete dental neglect, and he was slaughterhouse bound.
Alberti did not let any of this deter her. She sent the money to post his bail almost immediately. “I took a huge risk jumping into this,” Alberti says, “I had to trust this woman in North Carolina, that I paid a lot of money to, to quarantine and care for him without me being there to oversee things for seven weeks. But I am so glad I did it.”
One of the biggest challenges in Journey’s rehabilitation was, and is, his ability to eat. Prior to Alberti’s adoption, Journey had not received dental care called floating. Floating is a crucial process in which a horse’s teeth are filed to smooth out sharp edges, thus ensuring proper alignment and gum and teeth health. For a horse to be able to eat normally and maintain dental health, floating should be done about once a year. At an estimated age of 18-20, and based off the state of damage in his mouth, it was possible that Journey had never received regular floating procedures. With detrimental misalignment and pain when chewing, Journey had been unable to eat for an unknown amount of time and was dangerously weak. In addition to the dental emergency, Journey had lameness from being overworked. Still, Alberti only saw his sweet nature and vibrant spirit and continued with the adoption process.
By mid-July, Journey arrived safe and sound at Schoolhouse Farm. While still kept a distance from the other horses at the farm, Pearl and Blackberry, Journey was immediately seen by an equine dental technician and a veterinarian. He was also put on special feed. “He is given extruded feed that is already broken up, beet pulp pellets, alfalfa pellets, and other supplements to get him renourished,” Alberti explains. “When he arrived he was so thin, but he is an absolute gem. He has perfect manners and loves to be loved. He is just perfect,” she beams.
Journey also arrived without a name or any records. Alberti had DNA testing done and discovered that he is an Arabian. As for the name, Alberti’s husband Dave fiddled with AI-generated horse names, and Journey came up. “Given his story and how far he had traveled to get here, we just knew it was the perfect name for him.” Journey began to slowly adjust to his new life on the farm. He was rotated out to pasture by himself for a while to have peace and a low-stress environment while adjusting to his new surroundings. At first he was so weak he could not be out for long, but now he has worked up to three hours in the pasture. Alberti is also taking Journey on longer and longer trail walks -non mounted, to build his muscle again as he gains weight. As for his starved physique, Journey is nearly unrecognizable (in the best way) in just five months. “He is actually just about ready to start trying to saddle and ride,” Alberti says. “It will be a slow process, but I think he can tolerate a light rider soon and that will help him strengthen and regain his physical abilities.”
In addition to the improvements and milestones Journey has already made and met, he had his first outing in November at New Beginnings Stables in Middleboro. Alberti recounts, “He went to a versatility clinic and he was really anxious when he got off the trailer. He had pretty major separation anxiety and was calling out for his barn mates back at the farm -which was understandable given his history of bonding with other horses and then being ripped away from them and transported multiple times.” Once the clinician at the barn met Journey, he was able to show Alberti some ways to calm him. “After we got him calmed down, the rest of the time he was great and handled all the obstacles and tasks like a champ!”
With the enthusiastic, unconditional, and responsible love and care Alberti provides, and his natural tenacity for life, it is no question that Journey’s story turned out about as happy as it could possibly be in the end. Healing will continue -both body and soul, and soon Journey’s terrors will only be a distant thing of the past. With Alberti by his side every step of the way, he will no doubt be back to a muscular frame and running through the pasture, or trotting in an arena with saddle and rider before long. His fear is being replaced with trust and love -healing both human and animal spirit. What if this beautiful ending could be the story for every horse?
Though most of us are not in the position to go out and adopt a horse, there are many ways to support this incredible endeavor. Horse rescue organizations rely heavily on donations and sponsorship to manage the continual influx of horses in desperate need. Volunteers are also needed to help with barn chores, marketing, and fundraising. It is impossible to do too much to help in the efforts to rescue these beautiful, innocent animals.
As the holiday season nears so do harsh winter conditions, economic hardships such as tariffs making hay and feed far more expensive for owners, and the continuation of a national horse industry that focuses more on performance and exploitation than love and respect. Perhaps this year could be the year we venture from the common, go-to charities and show solidarity with the tens of thousands of horses waiting for a second chance. Every horse saved is a horse saved. Humans control the narrative for so many living things on this earth -and we can tell much better stories. Consider adding to the happy endings in your community by looking into and supporting these local horse rescues:

Stone Valleys Ray of Hope Equine Rescue
Black Feather Horse Rescue
NEER North Horse Rescue
Central New England Equine Rescue
Cedar Oaks Equine Rescue

Perhaps it’s the sound of holiday bells shimmering on the antique doorhandle of the beloved, old-fashioned penny-candy store, or the scent of coffee and book pages mingled pleasantly under-nose at the book shop and café on the center street of your town, or the first name basis greeting and familiar faces at the checkout of your local deli. All of these increasingly rare nuances insinuate shopping local.
In addition to often providing shopping experiences full of enough ambiance to make one wax poetic, shopping local is more than just pleasant and nostalgic -it is one of the most powerful choices we can make to shape the future of our local economies. The holiday season is a particularly wonderful time to reflect on how our consumer choices can shape the future of our communities. The US Small Business Administration shows that, as of June 2025, there are over 36 million small businesses in the United States. These local shops, boutiques, and businesses aren’t just there to offer picturesque storefronts to admire from a distance, they’re the heartbeat and undercurrent of our towns. They provide jobs and support families for people you know and care about. Local businesses often give back as much as they receive from their community by supporting, and even spearheading initiatives that enrich our neighborhoods and communities.
Of course, the hustle and bustle of modern-day life cannot be dismissed and discounted no matter how appealing that may sound. People are busier than ever with budget constraints of all kinds and severities -especially in the current economy with things like tariff worries and cost-of-living increases. A busy mom faced with a minute-by-minute-packed weekend who also needs to get a birthday gift for her child’s schoolmates birthday tomorrow is going to pop into a big box store on the way to the party. Sometimes, the tool you need just isn’t at any local stores. Sometimes, a meager budget needs to be respected and prioritized, and the least expensive option is easy to find with a few clicks on the phone. Convenience and thrift are not sins, they are realities, but they shouldn’t be our only plan.
One of the biggest and most obvious community-positive impacts of shopping local is that a substantial amount of every dollar spent with a small business strengthens the local economy. Shopping small isn’t just about making a purchase—it’s an investment in your community. When we choose to spend our money on local shops and businesses, we create what is called the “local multiplier effect” and it impacts local communities exponentially. The effect is defined as the occurrence where financial resources expended within a specific geographical area circulate repeatedly, thereby generating additional, stable economic activity and wealth. This makes sense because, according to BusinessDasher, statistics show that about $68 of every $100 spent at a local business stays in the community, while approximately only $14 of every $100 spent at a big box store stays in the community. With a greater percent of your money spent at local business staying in and supporting the local economy, it is more than an altruistic gesture to include community businesses in your shopping plans, it is a smart place to put your money.
In addition to boosting your local economy, shopping local and small is less of a drain on the environment. Local and sustainably made products travel fewer miles, use fewer resources, and are often made and produced with less destructive methods than mass produced products. Even packing material from online ordering is becoming a major pollutant. A study from PakFactory found that 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gasses are emitted yearly from plastic packaging production. Ten percent of packaging’s carbon footprint is attributed to transportation and shipping. Seventy-nine percent of that produced plastic packaging waste ends up in landfills. In addition, 25% of global plastic packaging waste is attributed to packaging used in shipping. Buying from your local shops and businesses usually only results in something like a small, paper bag -perhaps some tissue paper inside, and the fuel used to drive a short distance if walking wasn’t an option. These things are mere crumbs in terms of waste and footprint compared to the Mt. Everest we have built out of material waste from big box stores and shipping companies.
One lesser considered benefit to shopping local this holiday season is that it is often far more intentional. Local businesses wear their hearts, and products so-to-speak, on their sleeves. They have often either made or carefully curated their inventory. Nothing is in a small shop that hasn’t been considered and/or made by the owner. You are purchasing something with a tangible, purposeful energy and the recipient is bound to notice. A thoughtfully made gift has meaning and purpose. It tells a true story about craftsmanship, sustainability, and care. Be it a hand-poured seasonal candle, seasonally baked goods, or art work from a local artist, gifts like these usually lead to connection, not clutter.
Economy is not the only thing to benefit from shopping locally this holiday season. As a local consumer you are also helping to preserve craft, arts, and culture. Behind many small businesses there is an artisan – a creative maker or craftsperson who is an expert in their trade. Small business owners are often keeping traditions alive by producing their goods and inventory with their hands -or at least via a very hands-on process, devoid of heavy-duty machinery. Another consideration is that different ethnicities in your community often share their culturally-based arts, crafts, trades, and skills via local businesses -be it as the owners themselves or having their products carried in and showcased in a shop. According to the United States Census Bureau, 12.7 million non-employer businesses and 1.3 million employee businesses are women-owned, and 385,119 employer firms in the United States are owned by minority women. When you buy local, you are helping preserve creativity, equal-opportunities, artistry, and heritage—things that can’t be mass-produced in a factory.
The result of shopping local and small this holiday season extends past the logical and ethical -it simply feels good. A study via a buyer behavior report from Arizona State University showed that consumers who made purchases at a local, small business left with a greater sense of community than they did leaving a big box or chain store establishment. They felt increased purpose in their purchase choices and also because they experienced moments of connection with the local shop owners as well as the oft-familiar clientele. More of us are coming around to the importance and benefits of shopping small and local.
A report from IPX 1031 shows that 57% of Americans are willing to pay a bit more to shop locally. Around one in five Americans go out of their way to shop locally each month. Three out of four consumers say they would like to shop locally more often but it can be hard, and sometimes impossible, to do so when budgets and time are tight. Ninety percent of Americans would like to see more locally owned-small businesses in their areas and 60% of people shop more at local stores during the holidays than any other time of year. This is no small show of support as 44% of small business owners report that the holiday season support is at least 38% of their annual sales income -meaning that choosing some businesses for your holiday purchases quite literally keeps them in business.
Here in Massachusetts, we rank 13th in the nation for the most small businesses per 100,000 residents at 10,290 locally owned, small businesses in the state. Forbes magazine published that people in Massachusetts claimed to be willing to spend $150 more a month to go out of their way to support local and small businesses year-round and that increased to $250 during the holiday season. These amounts may seem inconsequential, but combined these financial choices can make or break our local industries.
In spite of the importance of local and small businesses in our communities, it is more difficult now, in some ways, to start and maintain them than ever before. New businesses have a high failure rate with nearly 90% of them closing within the first five years. Funding a new business is also increasingly challenging with the costs or rental spaces, adequate marketing support, and manufacturing and materials being more expensive in the last ten years. Many small business owners are inexperienced in cash flow management and the complexities of hiring and retaining employees.
The Q3 Small Business Index shows that inflation is a top concern for 46% of small businesses and 79% of small businesses are worried about tariff’s and say they would negatively impact, if not shut down, their business. Changes in consumer trends also indicate an ironic shift in consumers being more cautious and conservative in their spending the last two years while also seeking joy and comfort by spending more money on nostalgia and “treasure-hunting” experiences.
Regardless of changes and challenges our local businesses face, the solution is always the same: US. The Consumers. We, alone, have the collective ability to stabilize and boost our local economy and community through our consumer choices. Whether we choose to purchase the majority of our holiday gifts from local or small businesses, or even one or two of them, every decision to stay small and close to home is another “penny in the barrel”. As Peter Drucker said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Let’s make sure the future of our communities is one of equal opportunities, available jobs, and chances to create and use talents to make a living. We may not be able to navigate the choppy waters of a global economy, but we can easily, and collectively, steady the ship locally for those in the community who have taken great personal risks to pour themselves into starting and maintaining their businesses which in turn, do nothing but local good. You may find yourself noticing that holiday spirit shines a little brighter for everyone when you choose local.