What Go Local means to me

Jay Weatherly, owner of High-Five Coffee. Photo by Carrie Eidson

Why support the Go Local movement? That’s a question we put to local business owners, educators and community organizers. We heard answers ranging from supporting local schools to building a stronger economy to increasing the number of employers paying a living wage. Here’s a hint of what Go Local means to Asheville:

“The Go Local movement helps people understand their own responsibility in building a strong local economy through local purchasing and investing.” — Jane Hatley, Self-Help Credit Union

“Keeping money in this region protects businesses that have a character and a vibe that is unique to Asheville and reflects the local community.”— Jay Weatherly, High Five Coffee Bar

“The Go Local movement makes us mindful of where we put our dollars because every investment matters. You might just be one drop in the bucket, but our collective drops are a rainstorm.” — Leah Ferguson, Asheville City Schools Board of Education

“We believe in the spirit of collaboration and working together rather than in competition. We use Go Local to promote an experience where we all support and rely on one another.” — Jael Rattigan, French Broad Chocolate Lounge

“Go Local means we can support our homegrown businesses while transforming the Claxton media center into a learning space that better serves our students and families,” Jamie Allbach, Claxton Elementary

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Carrie Eidson
Multimedia journalist and Green Scene editor at Mountain Xpress. Part-time Twitterer @mxenv but also reachable at ceidson@mountainx.com. Follow me @carrieeidson

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.