Leon Steele, Director of Pride of Kinston released the following statement today:

Kinston and Lenoir County are no strangers to crisis and we are famous for our commUNITY support in times of crisis. Life happens and sometimes what happens is disruptive and scary, but we are strong, we adapt, and we come together to take care of our own.

With social events getting canceled, many people are being adversely affected economically. If the bands or teams are not playing, the tickets are not selling, the food trucks are not rolling, T-shirts and beverages are not selling, the floral arrangements and caterers are not delivering, and so on.

Pride of Kinston Downtown Revitalization encourages you to remember the many small businesses in downtown and throughout our community need our continued support during this time. Even if we cannot visit them physically, we can still support them.

If you are unable to visit the stores and restaurants physically, here are some things you can do to support our small and local businesses:

Call on the phone and place your order whether it is for food or a blouse. Many businesses have online shopping available, too, or will be happy to take your call and ship OR DELIVER something to you!

Other suggestions include:

- If you typically order products with local retailers later in the year, place your orders now.

- If you do not need anything specific at the moment but still want to support local, buy gift cards to spend later.

- For restaurants, order takeout or delivery and tip the same amount as you would dining in.

- You can buy gift cards for many local restaurants, too.

- Be sure to also leave a positive review on social media to help promote the business.

- Share this post and information widely so others know how to help.

First and foremost, prioritize and take all health and safety precautions for yourself and others in our community. Our community health as a whole depends on working together, and our small businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy. We want to make sure they continue to stay successful while maintaining appropriate public health safety measures.

Borrowed and adapted from Fuquay/Varina Downtown Association