Governor Tom Wolf visited small businesses in downtown York today for shopping and holiday tours, along with Mayor Michael Helfrich and York County Economic Alliance CEO Kevin Schreiber. Governor Wolf took the opportunity to remind Pennsylvanians how easy it is to shop locally and support local economies this holiday season.

“As we approach the Christmas holidays and run out of time for an economical expedition, I encourage all Pennsylvanians to take this opportunity to explore the local shops in their own hometown this holiday season,” the Governor said. Wolf. “Buying small and local is one of the most effective ways to give back to your community. You can take your purchase home the same day and, more importantly, invest in your neighbors, friends and the local economy.

Governor Wolf’s shopping and downtown tour took him to Pineapple Home Gallery, a Latino-owned, LGBTQIA + boutique with hand-poured candles; Symmetry Holistic Collective, a women-owned gift shop offering hand-blended teas; and Central York Market, which is home to a wide variety of small shops offering locally grown and processed food, flowers and gifts.

“Buying small and buying local is more important than ever as our economy continues to recover. For every $ 1 spent locally, approximately $ 0.70 stays in our community. We are honored that Governor Wolf has chosen downtown York to visit this holiday season. York city center has celebrated the opening or expansion of more than 40 businesses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our historic 125-year-old central market house has a waiting list for new suppliers, ”said Kevin Schreiber, President and CEO. , York County Economic Alliance.

When local businesses thrive, so do the communities they are a part of, as well as the employees and families they support. According to the US Small Business Administration, when you spend $ 100 on a local small business, $ 48 is put back into circulation in the local economy. When you spend the same $ 100 at a big box store or national retailer, only $ 14 goes to the local economy.

Pennsylvanians who wish to support their local economy and small businesses this holiday season are encouraged to:

Governor Wolf has worked to support small businesses in Pennsylvania since the beginning of his administration. In 2018, the Wolf administration launched the PA Business One Stop Shop which serves as a resource for small businesses through all phases of opening, licensing and hiring and provides technical support and funding opportunities.

Other Wolf administration materials for small businesses include:

To further support small businesses and their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, in March, Governor Wolf secured $ 145 million in funding to support Pennsylvania’s hospitality industry affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, the Wolf Administration has worked to provide tools and resources to help our small business community overcome the challenges of this pandemic, including allocating $ 225 million to fund the CARES Act ( Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) for Small business assistance. This program prioritized grants to main street and historically disadvantaged businesses in the Commonwealth of Nations. Over 10,000 businesses have been approved for grants, half of which went to historically disadvantaged businesses. Another $ 50 million funding from the CARES Act has been allocated to The risk premium for frontline workers. In addition, the COVID-19 working capital access program (CWCA) provided $ 60 million in loans to small businesses, the administration deferred loan repayments for companies.

To note: Today’s photo and video will be available at PACast.com.