The Winning Essays

Sarah’s essay said:
Why it’s important to shop local
…it creates jobs for people in our area. I volunteer at My Father’s House, a community shelter and I know that those people there wish there were more jobs for them close to home. There are so many other people in our area that need work and by shopping local we can provide a way for them to support their families.

Colin’s essay said:
Why it’s important to shop local
..is because when you shop at my friend Herman’s store you are giving them money and that is what feeds his family. When you buy something at the store that cash turns into money that takes care of them. Herman’s store is just a few blocks from my house and I walk there to buy all my ice creams from his store.

Sarah & Colin, thank you for entering the contest and understanding the importance of shopping local!

Thanks

A great big thank you to our prize donors:

• 40 Silk Bucks from Silk Espresso
• 4 certificates for appetizer or dessert from Red Robin
• 2 gift certificates for a hair cut from Nails on First
• 2 large pizzas from Bronx Eatery
• $10 gift certificate from Lillian’s Market
• $25 gift certificate from Craft Warehouse
• 2 $65 gift certificates from Mt Hood Lanes
• 2 Ink cartridge certificates from Cartridge World
• 5 $20 gift certificates from Laze Planet
• $25 gift certificate from Elegantly Funky
• 8 movie passes from Mt Hood Theater
• 2 certificates for admission to 10 plus game tokens from Wunderland
• Cell phone auto mount from John the Wireless Guy
• 8 admission tickets from Skate World
• 2 $12 gift certificates from Bella Cupcake
• 2 One year subscriptions to the Outlook
• Set of 5 Tails of Abbygail DVD & Poster from Terry Hanson Link

Don’t forget to shop local this Holiday season!

Hallie Exall is the winner of our Try Local First back to school essay contest for grades 7-12.

The Winning Essay

When shopping, I think of the benefits and drawbacks of where I choose to spend my money. I ask myself, “Is the pricing appropriate? Does it benefit the environment?” and “How will this stimulate the economy in my community?”

I live by Fairview Lane, so my family’s spending money is mostly dispersed among local, smaller businesses. This, in turn, helps East County because most of the money is kept in our community.

This benefits me, as well as others, because non-profit organizations (such as Relay for Life or the Salvation Army) have more money to reach out to those being affected by the organization’s cause.

Residents in our community benefit from local businesses by becoming employed. Environmentally, local businesses have less of an environmental footprint because they usually buy from local suppliers which saves them shipping money, while at the same time, saves the planet. Because they buy from local farmers, it helps and contributes to our local farmers. Consumers have healthier choices because our local farmers don’t use as many preservatives. They also save agricultural land, which therefore is less likely to be zoned in other ways.

With local businesses, come local business owners. They are more likely to stay, which keeps our community employed while stimulating our local economy. The more money we disperse locally, the safe our community. Our tax dollars turn into functioning police, fire and public services. The better function our services are, the safe and happier our community in East Multnomah County is.

Try Local First thanks all our contest entries for their their enthusiasm in supporting their local economy!

Bree Boertien is the winner of our Try Local First back to school essay contest for grades 1-6.

The Winning Essay

How To Save Gresham

You can help save Gresham by doing a lot. So, don’t take a long shower. We can use that water to water farms and fields.

Start shopping locally. My mom and I recycle and don’t waste water. Help farmers by not wasting water that can help water plants. This can help save our planet. Don’t drive too much. That pollutes our air. It can kill many animals.

Buy stuff in Gresham so people don’t lose their jobs, just like my mom, so you can help my mom get a job. Together, we can save our planet! And if you buy in Gresham and make it safer, then Gresham will be safer. Use the R’s Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Save our planet!

Try Local First thanks all our contest entries for their their enthusiasm in supporting their local economy!

What me and my family buy locally is food and new clothes but mostly food. You should not waste your money on dumb stuff like new earrings, toys, a lot of jewelry, clothes and new shoes. That’s very dumb. Once you have the money, you should buy stuff you absolutely need. Where me and my family mostly go to is Fred Meyers.

Andi Simons, Portland, 8th Grade

When you buy things from a local Gresham store or market, you are doing a lot more than just getting a good deal on corn and tomatoes, you are also helping the environment by saving gas, helping the economy by keeping the stores in business, and helping the local farmers who grow the foods in our area. A couple of years ago, my dad was saying our neighborhood was going dow hill, but then he realized he was doing nothing to help our community. Now, we buy as much as we can locally. We switched to using local doctors, neighborhood coffee shops, produce markets and clothing stores instead of going to the large shopping malls.

You can help the environment by shopping locall. When you go to stores close to where you live, you save gas by not going all the way to downtown to buy your favorite t-shirt.
If you keep supporting the stores and businesses around Gresham, you won’t see a bunch of empty buildings sitting there waiting to be tagged, and who wants to see that around their area?

Buying your clothing and grocers locally is an all-around good thing to do. It helps the environment, businesses and it helps you.

Christine Jacobsen, Troutdale, 12th Grade

When I was a little girl, there was nothing I loved more than to spend a day shopping downtown Gresham. I loved looking through the windows at the bright, colorful displays. I loved to go into the stores, seeing what treasures each one had. As I’ve grown up, I learned how shopping locally is not only an enjoyable experience, but it’s really important for our local economy.

Shopping locally helps to keep money circulating in our community. For example, a local business owner is likely to purchase things for their stores from other local businesses and other local service providers. Local businesses are also the largest supplier of jobs nationally, and in today’s economy, we can’t afford to lose anymore jobs.

Not only does shopping locally keep money in the community, it’s a lot of fun. Going shopping at local stores is a great experience. At local stores, items are unique and more personalized.

Shopping locally is great for the economy and it’s a great experience. As a little girl, I loved the local shopping experience. Now, I love the shopping experience as well as the fact that, through shopping, I can make my community a better place.

Try Local First thanks all our contest entries for their their enthusiasm in supporting their local economy!

I’m going to tell you some reasons to shop locally. First, it helps with pollution and gas money. It also saves time. Did you realize it saves a lot of jobs? If you want your city to look better, shop local.

If everyone does it, it will save the world. Sometimes my mom and I need milk, so instead of going clear to the grocery store, we run up to the 7-11. It’s about a half mile up the street. My mom and I also carpool a lot. So after you read my paper, I hope you shop locally.

Rachel Fasano, Gresham, 4th Grade

The Environment Needs Your Help

If you would like to cut down a tree you should plant another one somewhere else. If we all polluted, the water would get gross and there would be less fish for us to eat.

Driving closer helps not to waste gas. If we do waste gas and go farther away, global warming will continue to happen instead of slowing down. Driving in your own town for special occasions saves gas and the money stays in your town. You should spend money in your town so some of the storekeepers will buy things to make your town look good.

If we pick up litter, it will help your town look better. If you want to help the environment don’t pollute and rive in your own town.

Alexis Aspeland, Gresham, 4th Grade

Saving The Earth

In order to save the earth, we should shop locally. We may carpool or walk and ride our bikes to school.
In place of driving in a car all the way to Portland, we can drive minutes to downtown Gresham. We can also visit the local Farmers Market in Gresham. The fruit and vegetables are colorful, tasty and locally grown in Gresham’s soil. You save water by taking a short shower or climbing in the bathtub. The bath waters flows to streams and waters the fields. The water supports nature and saves billions of things if we just work together.

How about writing a letter to Mayor Bemis asking him if students can become involved in becoming green in Gresham Students can build animal habitats, make signs, design books and talk about how to shop locally so we can save our local economy.

It is so important that we all work together in the City of Gresham to help our local economy. Our city has many farms, streams, trees, hills and a special downtown area. Gresham is a healthy town to live in and shop locally.

Madison McBride, Gresham, 4th Grade

Fun At The Farmers Market

The Farmers Market is so much fun because there are so many things to see. There are fruits, veggies, flowers and so many colors and smells at the farmers market. Shop locally so that the money you spend goes back to Gresham. This would help local businesses like farms. Then we could create more jobs and the economy would not feel so bad after all. There would be more money for schools and kids would have more school supplies. There will be more parks and we could make more habitats for animals and places where kids can have fun. You can ride your bikes, scooters, and skateboards or you can carpool to the farmers markets so you can save gas and your money and you won’t destroy the atmosphere.

The farmers market is not far from Main City Park, so you could meet a friend at eh Farmers Market and buy picnic stuff because Main City Park is a great place to have a picnic on a sunny and warm day. During the summer, you can take your old books and exchange them for new ones at the Farmers Market. By trading the, you’re saving trees and animal habitats.

By going to the Farmers Market, you not only support local businesses but you can have fun and do something good for the environment.

Honor Hansen, Gresham, 4th Grade

A Better Community

Every Saturday we go to Winco. You should shop at a close store. Fresh food is local. It is very important to shop local. Food tastes better too.

People lose jobs if money from Gresham doesn’t come. We could have more colorful trees and parks. Nicer animal habitats too. Lots more pollution comes too.

Please shop locally.

Paige Stewart, Gresham 4th Grade

Why It’s Important To Shop Locally

It’s important to shop locally because you can ride your bike to the store and not pollute the earth. If you ride your bike to downtown Portland, how are you going to get everything home? You will probably be tired too.

Every Thursday, my mom and I go down to the Fairview Farmers Market. At the Farmers Market, there are fresh vegetables grown in Gresham.

But most important, the money you spend in Gresham stays in Gresham to help make Gresham more beautiful. That’s why it’s important to shop locally.

Zoe Yamaguchi, Portland, 1st Grade

Because what we do is buy locally, it helps our economy and you can get exercise. It makes us safer because local tax money and more people near the stores.

Try Local First thanks all our contest entries for their their enthusiasm in supporting their local economy!