“Gift Local is born out of the idea that we want to do all we can to support our local businesses during this time. That’s always important, but particularly so right now, so no matter where you are, whether you are physically located in Hamilton, or one of the other neighboring Butler County communities, or if you are far away but still love home, we want you to feel like you can have a piece of Butler County,” said Tracy Kocher, vice president of marketing and communications at the Butler County Visitors Bureau.
Butler County Visitors Bureau developed the Gift Local program to showcase 38 shops, boutiques, and stores. Also, the BCVB has selected one item from each of the shops to make shopping and gift-giving even easier. Visit www.gettothebc.com/locals/gifts to explore the local businesses and what they have to offer.
“Most of these stores have an online option where you can purchase from them if you don’t feel comfortable going into the store, or if you’re not local, you can still support local businesses from afar, “Kocher said.
For example, the Oxford Coffee Company is offering coffees, accessories, mugs and other specialty items.
“We are coffee roasting experts. We roast small batches with great care, and we have a large variety of options to choose from,” said Lara Thurston, manager, and coffee roaster at Oxford Coffee Company.
Thurston said a top Christmas seller is Oxford Coffee Company’s Winter Blend. The product also has a label that shows the Covered Bridge in Oxford, making it nostalgic and sentimental.
“We think it’s important to Gift Local because it feeds money back into the same community that you’re from and it helps support individuals with jobs. We also purchase goods from other small business owners, so it’s a whole cycle of giving back, and it reduces the carbon footprint and shipping waste,” Thurston said.
Bath bombs from LahVdah Skincare + More makes all of the products with organic, all-natural ingredients, so they are safe for all skin types. Customers will find all-natural bath bombs, lotions, soaps, make-up, skincare, and much more.
Ruby’s Chocolates offers truffle cakes and chocolate confections. The op Sellers Gift Box includes 12 pieces of Ruby’s top-selling truffle cakes, two each of their most popular flavors – Peanut Butter Truffle Cake, Key Lime Truffle Cake, Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake, Black Raspberry Cheesecake Truffle Cake, Birthday Cake Truffle, and Cookies and Cream Truffle Cake.
Petals & Wicks offers a variety of DIY Kits. Shoppers can purchase pre-made candles online, or a DIY Candle Kit that includes everything you need to make your own candles.
“Local businesses are the heart of our community. We need them to survive and thrive during a challenging time, and a part of the way you can give back and support your local communities is shopping at local stores, and sometimes that means you can shop at local stores online from the comfort of your couch,” Kocher said.
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