Lea County Electric Cooperative
Executive Vice President and General Manager Bobby Ferris Lovington 1300 W. Avenue D • P.O. Drawer 1447 Lovington, NM 88260 575-396-3631 Tatum • 575-398-2233 Plains • 806-456-3322 Toll-Free • 800-510-5232 Website • www.lcecnet.com Twitter @LeaCountyCoop
“Owned By Those We Serve” This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Board of Trustees President John Graham, Lovington, District 1 Vice President Robert Caudle, Lovington, District 1 Secretary-Treasurer Dan Hardin, Lovington, District 4 Charles Garner Seminole, TX, District 7 Travis Glenn Tatum, District 3 C.J. Kinsolving Crossroads, District 6 Randall McCormick Lovington, District 5 Kenny Wallace Lovington, District 1 Jason Swann Plains, TX, District 8
Help Save Christmas for Your Neighbors Among those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are small businesses. In rural areas, including those served by Lea County Electric Cooperative, small businesses are often the lifeline of local commerce. You can do your part this holiday season to help our area small businesses stay open. Here are some ideas to get you going. Stop ordering everything online. Check Main Street for businesses that sell similar items you buy online. Even if they’re still not open, some local shops are taking online and phone orders. Buy the bulk of your holiday gifts, decorations, and food from local merchants. If you must order online, consider offering a small holiday bonus to delivery drivers. Go to farmer's markets. Many stayed open during the pandemic, and now is the time to repay the favor. Some are allowing customers to preorder over the phone or online, which decreases in-person contact. How great would a fresh lamb roast from a local farm taste during your Christmas feast? What could be better than new, locally grown vegetables as side dishes and pies baked by someone with a business right down the street from you? Shop for the holidays and beyond. If you’re shopping for Christmas, think about birthday and anniversary gifts you’ll need over the next year and buy them now. That way, you will give some local businesses a boost when they need it the most. Plus, you will be prepared when it’s time to wrap up those gifts later. Invest in gift cards. You would spend the money anyway; why not do it in advance if you can afford it now? Order carryout. Start buying coffee from a local café instead of from a national chain. Find a favorite restaurant with outdoor dining and go there with your family whenever you feel like a socially distanced evening on the town. Pick up carryout from a locallyowned diner a little more often than you ordinarily would if you’re able. Write a review. Get on Yelp, Google Reviews, and your favorite businesses’ websites and talk them up when they do a good job. Online reviews go a long way toward attracting more customers.
16 December 2020 • enchantment.coop
