About the Support Local Gems Initiative
Idaho’s small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and the backbone of our state’s economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many small businesses across the Gem state to close or significantly reduce the services they provide, threatening livelihoods, creating thousands of job losses, and jeopardizing the future of local businesses across our state. The Support Local Gems initiative is a statewide public awareness campaign with a simple message to the people of Idaho. On Friday, April 24, Senator Jim Risch and the Idaho Department of Commerce invite Idahoans to Support Local Gems -- the small businesses in their communities – by shopping online, purchasing gift cards, ordering food via take-out or delivery, writing an online review, posting a supportive message for their favorite businesses on social media, or just saying thank you to a business in their community. There are many ways to show support, some that don’t cost anything. We can each do our part to help support our community businesses when they need it most.