BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO)– A main street in KELOLAND is helping feed the local community.
21 businesses are collecting food and monetary donations for feeding Brookings and the city’s food pantry starting Thursday.
For these Brookings business owners, giving back is at the core of their businesses.
“I think there’s really been a surge in local businesses really wanting to get together, especially in this downtown business district, we are really trying to support each other and so there is a lot of energy around getting us together and doing something that’s beyond just our doors,” said Laci Thompson, owner of Pasque.
That’s why they started the Downtown Give Back program, a ten-day event where organizations are coming together to collect donations for local food charities.
“With Frost Fest coming up, and we wanted to do something as a large group for the downtown business district,” said Thompson. “We’ve decided that we’ve got a great community that gives to us, that’s how we are all here, we wanted to be able to give back to our community, which is why we chose the food pantry and Feeding Brookings.”
“We are a kitchen store so we love food, and food is an extremely important part of what our business is, and our mission is to enrich kitchen and nourish the community so a way to give back and involve the entire community in it is a great opportunity for us,” said Kirsten Gjesdal, owner of the Carrot Seed Kitchen Company.
Some businesses, like the Carrot Seed Kitchen Company, are doing more than just collecting donations.
“We also do quite a bit of give back among our business as well, so we will be matching monetary donations as well as doing some other programs to help raise some funds for those organizations,” said Gjesdal.
Bringing the downtown business district together for a great cause.
“It’s a way for us all to get together and really bring the spirit of Brookings in a larger scale,” said Thompson.
The Downtown Give back campaign runs through the 19th. You can find a list of participating businesses here.
