It’s exactly the kind of letter that you would expect from a guy like Rick Dyer. Dyer is the President & CEO of Edgewater Bank, headquartered in downtown St. Joseph. From his vantage point at the crossroads of the community’s central business district, he has a bird’s eye view of the everyday world. His bank’s slogan is “The Real Local Bank.” His team lives that every day.
So, when he sat down yesterday to pen some thoughts about the current state of affairs amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, his thoughts were naturally anchored in the heart of the community.
Take a look at what he had to say, and consider following his lead:
How the world has changed in such a short time.
A week ago, I was sitting at Santaniello’s enjoying Ralf’s great cooking, now I can’t step foot into any of our fine restaurants and bars. I understand and support the efforts to fight COVID-19. We all need to do our part, even if it is inconvenient. Are we doing too much by closing these businesses? Maybe, but I’m not willing to take that chance.
So, what do we do now, other than practice social distancing and great hygiene?
We can support our local small businesses. We can pledge to order food for pick-up or delivery two or three nights a week to give our local restaurants the business they need to pay their employees and keep their lights on. We can tip well when the food is delivered. We can buy gift cards right now to provide cash flow for our local businesses. Use them later but buy them now!
Maybe we paid a monthly membership fee to the Yoga Life, MadDog, RAC, Southshore, or the YMCA that we can’t take advantage of right now. It is not those company’s fault. They are closed for reasons out of their control. We can let them keep the monthly membership fee even though the doors are now locked. We will work out at those facilities in the future, but we need to help them move into the future.
These are our local businesses. They need our help. Let’s get through this together.
Rick Dyer
