Published in the March 2-15, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Kathy Sullivan
Many of us have, in the interest of our schools or nonprofit organizations, gone into one of our local downtown businesses and asked for a donation for a fundraising event. The owners often show their generosity and community involvement by supplying our requests with gift certificates, products or services. While it is lovely to live in a city where we have so many establishments ready to help out, the amount of requests can be problematic for our local businesses’ bottom line.
Rosy Bergin, owner of Rosy’s at the Beach, shared how requests for help come into her popular restaurant daily. Besides helping with gift certificates, Rosy and her husband Rich Bergin also provide meeting space for some of the local organizations, provide and serve food at local events and coordinate dinners such as the recent Leadership celebration for Dana Ditmore.
Another group of people who give of their time as well as gift certificates are artists from the Morgan Hill Art Gallery. Artist Paul Loughridge talked about how the store has volunteers who go to our local schools and recently had a Senior Paint Party at the Senior Center. Leah De Lane of Fast Frame has worked with the Morgan Hill Historical Society to help conserve some of their pieces and partnered to sell historic pictures as a fundraiser. Cherisse White, of Cherisse’s Hair Salon, gives her time to the Senior Center by cutting hair every two months as well as supplying a makeover to the winners of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Celebrate gala each year.
Debbie Creighton and Lelani Salazar, of Huntington Station Sports Pub, told me they receive requests via email, telephone and walk-ins — some from San Jose. They prefer to support local sport teams but also host mixers and fundraisers. Debbie says she wants to help but it can sometimes be a little overwhelming because they are a “little business in a little town.”
The Jewel Box Morgan Hill’s Tracey Ulrey also commented about being hit up all the time and has a pile of requests on her desk. While she wants and does help the community in many ways, such as the Community Law Enforcement Foundation’s Cops & Robbers Balls, the Rotary Club’s Dazzle and the AAUW’s Wildflower Run, she said sometimes the people requesting forget to promote her business other than listing it in a program. Since only a few people get to read a program, she wishes the community would reciprocate with ongoing visits and recommendations.
Susan March of Ladera Grill had high praise for the generosity of her boss, Dan McCranie. Ladera receives many requests as well, some even coming in on Facebook. They have looked at creative ways to help the community such as sponsoring the Food Court at the Taste of Morgan Hill and recently helping pair Girl Scout cookies with desserts.
Charity may begin at home, but our city’s downtown businesses also engage in the kindness and benevolence of giving to worthy causes. Many of these businesses are helping in multiple and unselfish ways. We can help them, in turn, by buying local and maybe purchasing a gift certificate, if you use their services, when requesting a donated one for your organization’s fundraising efforts.
Kathy Sullivan is a board member of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.
