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Consumers Energy Supports Small Businesses
Consumers Energy Supports Small Businesses
December 2020
Consumers Energy is spreading holiday cheer and helping the communities it serves by providing $850,000 to support shopping in 55 local communities through its “Our Town” gift card effort. Holiday shoppers will receive a dollar-for-dollar match from Consumers Energy when they buy gift cards through local Chambers of Commerce and participating downtown organizations, doubling the amount they can spend in downtowns across Michigan.
“Small businesses are the backbone of the communities we serve, and every community has seen those businesses feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lauren Youngdahl Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience. “With Our Town, we want to end the year by spreading cheer. We are putting dollars directly into shoppers’ hands to help them stretch their budgets and give a boost to shops and restaurants in their hometowns.”
Consumers Energy is providing $3,000 to $40,000 to Chambers of Commerce and downtown organizations across the Lower Peninsula. The Our Town support will be available while gift cards last.
“We thank Consumers Energy for taking a meaningful step to help small businesses that have felt the impact of the pandemic,” said Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. “Our Town focuses on our Michigan hometowns and puts dollars in the hands of businesses that keep Michiganders at work this holiday season.”
Consumers Energy has been committed to communities and small businesses throughout the pandemic. The company and its charitable foundation have provided nearly $5 million to nonprofit and economic development organizations in response to COVID-19, including close to $2.5 million to help small businesses.
EEI’s member companies are committed to the customers and communities they are proud to serve. To read more about charitable contributions made by electric companies, read this article about companies giving back during the pandemic in the May/June issue of Electric Perspectives.