The Concord Spirit That Paved the Way to Spring

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

The COVID pandemic strained communities around the globe, and Concord was no exception. We watched as friends and neighbors struggled with loss, illness, and financial crisis. We lost friends and loved ones of our own. And in our beautiful town, we saw shops and restaurants that had been a part of the town’s fabric for decades shutter their doors forever. The call for help was loud and clear.

Many answered that call. In the same spirit that sparked the formation of the Minutemen in the 1700s, residents all around Concord jumped to action. High school students did everything from raising funds for local charities, to writing cards to lonely older citizens cut off from their families at care facilities, to helping shop keepers connect online with people staying at home. Restaurants cooked thousands of meals to support health care professionals working around the clock to care for the sick (and citizens rallied to fund that effort).

Concord Together formed, led by Sharon Spaulding and John Boynton. They created a group of more than 20 business leaders and volunteers (including Town leadership) who have met every single week for a full year to create awareness and events to keep the shops and restaurants top of mind for residents. These efforts and so many others have not only made a difference; they have given hope to the merchants who are trying every day to weather the storm.

The Town of Concord and its various committees jumped in as well — helping businesses get access to PPE, fast-tracking outdoor dining for restaurants, making outdoor heaters and air filters more affordable for merchants trying to protect their clients, suspending parking meter charges for more than half a year, reimbursing partial license fees for restaurants, establishing a dedicated liaison to help businesses identify — and apply for — grants and loans to keep them going, sponsoring a drive-in movie for families eager to have a fun night out, and showing up every single week to collaborate with Concord Together.

Concord Together volunteers pick a winner in a shopping passport event. Pictured here (left to right): Marie Foley, Beth Williams, Stephen Crane, Sharon Spaulding, and Jennifer Schünemann

Courtesy of Concord Together

Discover Concord did all we could think of to help. We joined Concord Together immediately and leveraged our social media network and the pages of the publication to raise awareness. But as the holiday season approached and we realized how pivotal those precious weeks would be to helping the recovery, we felt we had to do more. Then we had an idea…perhaps the best way to support our fellow small businesses in Concord (in an environment where so many were staying at home) was simply to bring the businesses into the households where our fellow Concordians were sheltering in place. Something akin to the old Sears and Roebucks catalogues from holiday seasons past. We didn’t have a lot of time to think it through. We had already lost 8 shops in town and more were struggling. The holiday season would literally be “make or break” for many. We had to act quickly.

So we decided to just do it — we were going to pull together, photograph, and write about more than 100 local businesses and more than 25 local nonprofits. We were going to produce and print 12,000 catalogue-style magazines to give out around town. We were going to mail a copy of this special edition to every single household in Concord.

We envisioned the Discover Concord Guide to Holiday Gift Giving 2020. And we were going to do it in just three and a half weeks. With no planned team, design, or financial support. We were just going to do it. And we were going to make sure that any business that needed the help would be able to participate at no cost to them. We knew that we would be taking a big hit — but we also felt deeply in our hearts that it was the single biggest impact we could have in helping the town we love.

And then something truly magical happened… Word got around. People felt as moved as we did. And suddenly, it all just…fell into place. Shop owners dropped everything and created ideas for text and images for the catalogue in a matter of days. A professional catalogue designer volunteered to train us and to help set up photo shoots all around town. Our printer heard what we were doing and helped us with pricing. Commercial landlords and real estate companies heard what we were up to and jumped in to help cover the cost of printing and mailing. A GoFundMe campaign popped up and dozens of friends chipped in. The town pivoted to help with the resources they had. Businesses that were doing well gave a little more to make sure that those who were struggling could be included. And all of this incredible energy culminated in an idea that worked.

The team celebrates the freshly printed Holiday Guides as they load up the trailer. One hour later, they were ‘live’ in Concord!

©Voyager Publishing, LLC

Individuals who were lonely and isolated received something in the mail that reconnected them with the friends and neighbors they knew at their local shops. People wondering how to help suddenly had an easy way to shop local without risking their health during the height of the pandemic. Word spread quickly and then the phones starting ringing at local shops. Websites lit up with orders. The needle moved.

“I was blown away by the impact the 2020 Guide to Holiday Gift Giving had on my holiday sales,” said Jennifer McGonigle, Owner of Joy Street Life + Home. “Customers literally walked into my shop, pointing to my ad in the Guide and asking if they could purchase the item – it was an absolute success!”

The town also rallied around museums and non-profits that had been closed under COVID. “How wonderful that non-profit organizations are included in this Concordfocused outreach,” said Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House. “We sold several Little Women gift bundles, as showcased in the Guide, which helped raise awareness and some funding for us at a time when our doors had been closed due to COVID. It was truly heartwarming.”

Holiday helpers hand out surprise gift envelopes from Concord Together

Photo courtesy of Concord Together

And the giving didn’t stop there. The Concord-Carlisle Community Chest joined forces with Concord Together to launch a grant specifically designed to help shops and restaurants survive being closed for several months. Grant funds helped access PPE, reconfigure storefronts for safety, and keep doors open and lights on during one of the most difficult times our town centers had ever been through. None of this would have happened without the incredible generosity of the many, many people who donated more than $200,000 to this emergency fund. Thanks to all of this hard work and generosity, more than 50 local shops and restaurants have been supported with a vital life line to better times.

Spring is here. The days are longer and the sun is shining again. There is light at the end of the COVID tunnel. We are all looking forward to the day when life returns to normal. As the town comes back to life in so many ways, we wanted to take a moment to express our deep gratitude. Concord is such a special place. To have seen firsthand the generosity, innovation, and selflessness of so many during such a hard moment in our collective history planted a seed in our hearts that will bloom for a long time to come. Thank you.

Photo courtesy of Concord Together