How a Business Gives Back By Helping Its Community During a Crisis
These days I have been reading a lot about large corporations making a meaningful difference during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, Apple is designing and shipping face shields for medical workers. These efforts are commendable and compelling. At the same time, small businesses can teach big brands something about making a difference, too. Even as they struggle to survive, they’re stepping up to support their local communities.
Captain Lawrence Adapts
If you live outside the Hudson Valley in New York, you might not have heard of Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. Located in Elmsford, New York, Captain Lawrence makes craft beer on tap, serves food, and offers special events and tours. Like many small businesses, Captain Lawrence has been rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they have adapted rapidly by offering online ordering, home delivery, and curbside pickup of craft beers and food ranging from Cuban braised beef to loaded beef chili baked potatoes. The business relies on its Facebook and Instagram socials to announce specials as well as tips for how to prepare one of its bake-at-home pizza kits. But what caught my attention are Captain Lawrence’s actions.
How Captain Lawrence Is Giving Back
As COVID-19 has spread throughout the New York area, Captain Lawrence has reached out to the local community with acts of goodwill. For example, the business has donated food to White Plains Hospital to help healthcare workers on the front lines. Under normal circumstances, White Plains Hospital has the busiest emergency room in Westchester County, As the pandemic worsens, the hospital has been under siege. Any contribution to support its staff makes an incredible difference. And recently, Captain Lawrence reconfigured a brew house to make and donate 300 gallons of soup for Million Gallons, a local non-profit helping the displaced food service industry in the face of coronavirus.
Founder Scott Vaccaro told a local news outlet that Captain Lawrence hopes to crank out 600 gallons of soup each day. He’s also pursuing the production of hand sanitizers now that industry regulations have changed to permit doing so, but the effort has been fraught with difficulty because of a scarcity of available bottles to fill.
The Role of Local Businesses
Local businesses play a special role to play right now. When Captain Lawrence contributes soup to the food service industry or delivers free food to a hospital, chances are that the brewery is assisting someone I either know personally or am close to by a few degrees of separation. The contribution feels meaningful and real because it is local. And keep in mind, Captain Lawrence is helping out even as the business “went from thriving to surviving pretty quick,” as Vaccaro said in a recent news story. And yet, even amid the struggle, Captain Lawrence is there for its community.
It’s important that Captain Lawrence also lets people know what it’s doing for them. Captain Lawrence uses its socials to do just that. People need to know about those times your business gives back because those actions may inspire others to help. Practically speaking, acts of goodwill also build brand loyalty. I am but one example of someone who became a Captain Lawrence customer when I learned about how the brewery was helping those in need. How will your brand be remembered?
Captain Lawrence is also demonstrating its values as a business: values of compassion, service, and giving. While its customers shelter in place, Captain Lawrence is there for them.
Sometimes leveraging the good works that other companies and groups already have in motion can be your way of doing your part. At Investis Digital, Inspire Greatness is one our company values and we are leaning into groups like Meals for NHS in London, Doing4Others in New York City, and the Miracle Mile in Phoenix to support our local communities and frontline workers.
How might your business step up and live your own values by helping out during this time of need? For inspiration, look to your neighbors, many of whom are mom-and-pop organizations with limited resources. And don’t forget to support those businesses. They need everyone’s help now more than ever.
