Suit Depot gives away free masks to help

#MichiganStrong

The Suit Depot gives away free masks to help support local businesses.

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It might be easy to shop with just a single click on Amazon, but why not help Michigan’s economy as much as possible by shopping locally instead? When that’s the united call of many customers, then the impact can be huge.

That’s what’s behind the #MichiganStrong masks you might be seeing on people around town.

The Suit Depot in Oak Park is behind the masks. But according to owner Mordy Babayov, it’s not about his company — it’s about the initiative.

“Everyone’s struggling right now,” Babayov said. “Many small businesses had merchandise that went stale in the three months they were closed. Our goal is to create a whole culture of supporting each other.”

The Suit Depot made 2,500 simple black masks with the #MichiganStrong hashtag. They donated 500 to Macomb County, 500 to Oakland County and another 500 to the city of Oak Park. Anyone can come into The Suit Depot in Oak Park and ask for and receive a free mask.

Small businesses are invited to walk in and pick up masks for their employees, whatever the number. They pose for pictures, masked, and tell The Suit Depot about their business and how they’ve tweaked their services to suit the times. Then the Suit Depot profiles these businesses on all their social media — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn — and encourages their followers to help spread the word.

Their goal is for followers to share the posts, with Michiganders turning their resources inwards and supporting local businesses in any way they can.

Babayov said he used to purchase supplies for his store online but has now started buying them from a local company instead. It might be more expensive, but the knowledge that he’s helping his own community more than makes up

COURTESY OF THE SUITE DEPOT

A Suit Depot employee with a customer who runs an urgent care in Hamtramck

for the few dollars he would have saved.

Babayov recently brought a stack of masks to his sister’s wedding, in case people didn’t come with their own. He noticed that the masks sparked a conversation; he was thrilled to see how enthusiastic people were about the initiative.

It’s the hope that if everyone’s talking about it and supporting #MichiganStrong, it will benefit everyone in the long run, he said.

The Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program Invites you to join in its 4th Annual Award-Winning Dementia Friendly Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur Service This special service will include familiar prayers and melodies led by Cantor Pamela Schiffer within a 45-minute timeframe created for families and their loved ones living with Dementia. Open to the Community – No charge

Sunday, September 27 at 11 a.m. Zoom link and holiday gift bag with prayer book will be provided with registration

For online registration: https://bit.ly/BCservice2020 For questions or to register by phone call (248) 592-5031, leave a message with your name, address, phone number and email.

Registration by September 14 preferred to ensure delivery of your High Holy Day gift bag. This event has generously been underwritten by a friend of The Brown Center