How you can support Toowoomba businesses without buying gifts

The COVID-19 pandemic has not been kind to business owners and as Christmas approaches there are several ways people can support them, and it doesn’t always have to involve buying gifts.

Shop local in Toowoomba this Christmas, Kim Cahill in Margaret Street.

Now more than ever it’s important to stick by small businesses and support local where possible.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not been kind to business owners and as Christmas approaches there are several ways people can support them, and it doesn’t always have to involve buying gifts.

Toowoomba woman, Kim Cahill, is a huge advocate of supporting local businesses and does so every day through her business and Facebook page Toowoomba and Darling Downs.

It is a place for people to connect, with Ms Cahill helping businesses get in touch with services they may need to help grown their platform.

She said everyone could help their community this festive season.

“I always like to spring clean and make everything clean and tidy, and fix things around the home but if I cannot do it myself I am looking to get the help from a local handyman, a builder, cleaners, window cleaners, gardeners, shopping at local nurseries.

“So, by just getting my home ready for the festive season I am supporting lots of small business.

“I love to support people I know like and trust. I love to shop with people who know my name and they seem to genuinely want to help and support me – it makes me feel good and valued.”

She also said another way to help is giveaway unwanted items found cleaning to charity or host a garage sale.

“Charities need help now and it’s important to give local charities what you can,” she said

Ms Cahill said another big way to support local that didn’t involve buying gifts was buying food for Christmas Day.

“From locally grown and butchered smoked ham to fruit and vegetables, we can get almost all of this locally from our butchers, fruit shops and direct from farmers,” she said.

“Locally grown tastes better, it more eco-friendly.”

When giving gifts for Christmas one idea is to go zero waste and give an experience as opposed to a physical gift such as a massage and facial vouchers or tickets to the zoo or movies.