Guest post by: Megan Fetter (parent of "express yourself" campers)
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When I first heard about LYN House I thought the concept of small groups of kids meeting to do creative things over the summer would be a perfect fit for our family.  Our son Jonah has experienced large summer camps and, while those were great for some kids, they just weren’t quite the right fit for him.  There was too much stimulation and it didn’t help him to be his best while he was at camp during the day.  Having a few hours each day focused on God, himself, and his own creativity helped us to keep his brain going over the summer but not overly busy.  
LYN house is a great opportunity for Jonah to do some creative work, spend time with other kids, and to build relationships with adults.  Jonah suffers from high levels of anxiety and depression and he needs people in his life that can reassure and support him.  It’s already hard enough to be 11 years old, with all of this going on, and we love that we know LYN House is a great place for him to get what he needs.  
We are currently growing our family through adoption from foster care and as we do that, I know that summertime at LYN House has and will provide us with a supportive and safe environment for our kids.  That means more to us and to these kids than anyone can imagine.

Why Shop Local? 
I’ve heard folks say they shop local because small businesses donate twice as much to local non-profits over big box stores, because of job creation, because the neighborhood sales tax helps fund vital neighborhood services like police, fire, & trash collection, these are all good reasons but the number one reason I shop local is because it builds community.

​   "The number one reason I shop local is because it builds community." 

How Does it Work? 
I build my community by spending my money where I live. Shopping local builds community when a shop owner like me takes the $20 you spent on clothes for your kiddo at Little Green Bean Boutique & I walk across the street to pick up locally grown produce for dinner at Pogue’s Run Grocer (just kidding, I can’t cook so I order a sandwich from their deli counter, served by Beth who got job training from LYN House).

In turn the cashier uses some of her paycheck to send her grand-kids to classes at Brookside Dance Academy, where parents & grandparents visit in the lounge & get to know one another while their kids learn everything from good manners to plies. Ms. Brianna, the dance teacher (and First Church Pastor’s wife), takes those same dollars down to Rabble Coffee where she meets a friend for a hot drink.  Josie, the Barista, takes the money that neighborhood folks like Brianna & her friend spend on delicious drinks and she orders more coffee from a local coffee roaster in town so she has plenty of caffeinated beverages for her next Board Game Night.

Carl, the owner of Gordon’s Ice Cream Parlor invites one of his customers to hang out at Rabble’s Board Game Night and then again to Karaoke Night at the Tick Tock Lounge, where they enjoy a fantastic meal served by the owner, Tammy. Carl’s friend mentions he really enjoys hanging out on the Near Eastside and is interested in moving into St. Clair Place Neighborhood so Carl introduces his friend to John (an original founding member of LYN House) & the nice folks at (NEAR) Near Eastside Area Renewal.  These folks help the friend buy a house and also send him down to see John at Audrey’s Place Furniture so he can furnish his new living room locally.

The money that NEAR makes from the sale of the house is reinvested to rehab another neighborhood homes. John takes some of his paycheck down to Sister’s Comfort Food, in the John Boner Neighborhood Center, to enjoy a little lunch before he walks down to the Little Green Bean Boutique to buy a gift for his new grandchild.

Then a shop owner like me takes that $30 and stops by Bookmamas in Irvington to pick up a book that Heidi had on the Wish List for the LYN House library before she heads over to Metta Yoga where local yogi Tammi (a LYN House tutor too) is teaching Community Yoga.
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What's the Result? 
And the cycle continues, it continues to build our community one dollar at a time by creating safe places for people to live, shop, worship & gather.

"On average, almost 70% of your dollar stays in your neighborhood when you choose to shop local. You'll be helping to build community too." 

So the next time you’re out shopping or dining & pull out your wallet, remember that on average almost 70% of your dollar stays in your neighborhood when you choose to shop local. You’ll be helping to build community too.

*The names in this post were not altered to protect the people mentioned, these are the real business owners & I hope you’ll be sure to shop with them! 

How Do I Get Involved? 

​Join us for our "Handmade Market: Valentine's Day Edition" on Thursday, February 4th from 5-9pm! If you've shopped our Christmas holiday event you'll know to expect handmade vendors, delicious treats and beverages for a fun night out for grown ups! We're partnering with the lovely folks at the LYN House (Love Your Neighbor) to raise funds for their afterschool tutoring program so 10% of your purchases will be donated to the neighborhood organization. If you're looking for something unique to show a special someone how much you care, our makers will be here to help with gifts for everyone from the kids to adults. We'll have a crafty table set up so you can make your own Pinterest inspired gift too! Grab a friend or your Valentine & join us! Stay tuned for more details & a line up of our handmade folks. Call 317.426.4232 if you have questions.