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Buy Nothing Week Monday: Meet Your Mom and Pop Shops

Submitted by michael on November 24, 2008 - 10:08am
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Today we're stepping out and introducing ourselves to the shopkeepers in our neighborhood. This is an opportunity to take a moment and shake the hand of the person you've been going to for a sandwich, a newspaper or a gallon of milk for all those years. We call this building Community Confidence!

And if you haven't visited the local shops in your community before, today is a great day to start. Let's liberate ourselves from the cold, flourescent abyss of the Big Box devils, amen?

Tell your "Meet Mom and Pop" story below! You can also take pictures and post to Flickr tagged buynothingweek2008!
‹ Stop Shopping - go walking! Peter Schiff and Reverend Billy are vindicated! ›

"O Say Can You Buy?"

Submitted by leftylib on November 28, 2008 - 5:39am.
After recieving the lastest email from Code Pink and checking out their on-line store I was inspired by buy nothing week to ask them about the nature of their fund raising products. Their t-shirts are made in a non-sweat shop in L.A. (Rev & Savitri's work?) a relatively new development as they, apparently, had switched manufacturers. I started to wonder about their other products, though. Are they green? Are they made in the US? Are they utilizing labor unions for any of it?

One chapter organizer responded with a great article about the difficulty of finding American made products from the latest Mother Jones: 

www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2008/11/practical-values-o-say-can-you-buy.html

This sure echoes Billy & Savitri's plight in What Would Jesus Buy!

Shoe repair not throw out and buy another.

Submitted by Artcalight on November 25, 2008 - 11:21pm.
A one-person shoe repair store about 5 miles from my house. He just repaired an old running shoe with a tear at the toe. I did that instead of throwing out the shoe. Plus it's nicely worn in.

Local Convenience Mart

Submitted by merrily811 on November 25, 2008 - 9:51pm.
In 2003 our local convenience store was robbed at gun point. The robber got away with not much but our grocer was shot in the face. The neighborhood queued around the block to buy them out of their goods! They still have a thank you sign out front. The family lives behind the store in a small apartment and their daughter goes to our local school. The owner recovered fully. This makes me fully realize the meaning of COMMUNITY!

Local-ize it!

Submitted by sister monica on November 25, 2008 - 1:17am.
I realized today that I have bought a juice, coffee and tofu scramble from the same folks for years and still didn't know their names. What is it about New York City's fast buzzing rhythm that pushes us to charge through our days without greeting people? I introduced myself to the lovely staff of Earth Matters today. Although I don't live in the Lower East Side any more, I find myself frequenting this great cafe/grocery store often for writing or a meeting with bike clowns or friends. Marco, the owner, welcomes us roustabouts in with grace and warmth. We share some nachos or dried mango and talk freely in the spacious three story cafe with comfy couches and free wifi. Marco told me today that he came from Israel and opened Earth Matters 8 years ago to bring a healthier food option to the people of the Lower East Side. I want to personally thank the great folks at Earth Matters for playing great dance music, for letting me sit there even when i was dressed like a zombie and for just being the friendly amazing staff that they are. You help build the kind of community that New York thrives on. I posted a photo of me with them on Flickr. They let me behind the counter! buynothingweek2008

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