Think Global, Shop Local

glob·al

 adjective \ˈglō-bəl\

: involving the entire world

: involving all of something.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/global

Laie is a community with a rich heritage of service. We send our young men and women across the world on Missions.  We support students from many countries through the iWork program and PCC. Some of us send money to family and relatives in poor and developing countries. We have raised money to help Tsunami victims in Samoa and Japan. We are a community that is devoted

to thinking globally and helping our fellowman wherever he may live.

Most of us carry that global vision close and are also active in local charity work and make donations to those charities, our churches, and schools but how many of us have stopped to consider the effect our purchasing power can have on our local economy?

How many of us have driven an hour into Walmart for automotive oil instead of walking into our own Napa auto parts? Or Ace for some twine and garden fertilizer? Do you bank with a local branch? Do you eat at Laie Chop Suey or Blazing Steaks or Wendys? Do you grocery shop at Cackle Fresh, Foodland, or Costco? Do you buy your clothes or cars or fishing gear at a local garage sale or from Craigslist or from some place in Town? If we had a bookstore would you shop it or would you continue to buy from Amazon?

I hope you will reflect on the power your local dollar has: when you spend locally you put money in your neighbor's pocket, literally! These local businesses hire your other neighbors, donate to your schools, and support your family.

Here on ilivelaie.blogspot.com all our ads are local businesses. We could make more money with a generic ad campaign from Google AdWords but we have made a conscious choice to support our community first. All products offered for sale here too directly support Laie residents. I ask you to make a conscious choice to first sustain our local Laie economy. Think Global, Shop Local!