Local businesses find ways to give back to their customers and the community
By Katie Landeck
Turley Publications Correspondent
Despite the “closed” sign hanging in the window, Euro Coiffure Salon was filled with somewhere between 150 and 200 people Nov. 17 getting free shellac manicures, washes and blow dries, eyebrow threading and wine.
That’s right. Free.
It was the salon’s first customer appreciation day. After an employee of the salon suggested it, owner Barbara Bocwinski decided to shut down the salon for a night and invited about 100 of her regular clients and their best friends to come in for a night of free pampering. She called the event Girl’s Night Out.
“I was thrilled with the event. I had so much fun,” said Bocwinski, who spent the night doing manicures “one after another.”
The event was Bocwinski’s way of giving back to the community and people who have supported her business, located at 1910 Wilbraham Road., for the eight years she has been in business.
“It’s not about taking, taking, taking,” said Bocwinski. “We live here. It’s about local money, local businesses and local people.”
According to Jocelyn Walker president of the Boston Road Business Association and advertising sales representative at the Times, Bocwinski’s focus on giving back to the community that she works in is an attitude reflected by many local businesses.
“I see it every day when I am out visiting the businesses,” said Walker. “People approach these small businesses because they see them as part of the community.”
Small, community businesses in Hampden and Wilbraham are constantly finding ways to work within the community to improve it and help in ways that many of the big box companies, such as Home Depot and CVS, do not.
“National stores take up national causes like Rays of Hope and then implement it at the community level,” said Walker. “It’s not like they are scrooges, it is just more difficult to get donations from them as in most cases the store manager can’t say, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll give you a $100.’”
Hometown Charities
When corporate companies are asked for a donation, stores have to fill out a form and send it on to their corporate office to approve the funds, a process that could take months.
“I think it is probably a lot easier to say no to a donation when you are in a 19th floor office don’t have the personal contact with the community,” said Mary Bandouveres who owns the Village Store in the center of Wilbraham.
The Village Store, at 462 Main St., caters the town’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies at a discounted price, in addition to letting community groups use their space and fielding donation requests from hometown charities.
“We give out a lot of donations,” said Bandouveres. “At first we tried to tailor them, but now we give out a standard gift certificate for lunch for two. We feel that keeps it fair.”
According to Bandouveres, many people come to the Village Store regularly, particularly older people. It has gotten to the point where if an older person does not come in for a few days, she has started to ask their friends and family about them.
It is this contact with the community that makes giving back so important to her. “They spend there money with me all the time, so I feel I have a responsibility to give back when they need something.”
Quality of Life
However, for some people giving back to the community is not about responsibility, but about improving the area they live in.
The Gaudreau Group, at 1984 Boston Road is one of the biggest contributors to the community. Annually, they donate about $100,000 to organizations such as the Rotary Club, the Scantic Valley YMCA and other groups that come asking. In addition to financial contributions, employees often help to staff local events. After the tornado hit, owner Jules Gaudreau himself brought out his chainsaw and headed to Fountain Park.
But to Gaudreau, it is not about giving back, it is about investing in the community.
“I don’t like the term ‘giving back’ because it implies that I took something that I didn’t earn,” said Gaudreau who has served as president of the Wilbraham-Hampden Rotary Club, named a Paul Harris Fellow, and is a chair of the YMCA Scholarship Committee. “It’s about investing in the future of the community. Every generation owes it to the one before to step up and make the community better.”
Drawing inspiration from people such as the late Larry Fountain of Wilbraham, who was a philanthropist-businessman and helped to found Fountain Park, Gaudreau has taken it upon himself to help improve Fountain Park and Post Office Park.
“We have made the community better,” said Gaudreau.
This is something Gaudreau does not see the larger companies doing.
“Large companies do nothing. They don’t feel any obligation to give back to the community and why should they?” said Gaudreau.
As a self-described small business, Gaudreau admits that the $100,000 he gives can “hurt,” but he feels that there is “a lot that needs to be done.”
But, not all of the small businesses can donate thousands of dollars a year. Most in fact can’t.
Support Scholarships
Quinn’s Fine Jewelry, 2040 Boston Road, donates jewelry and gift cards to the schools, the Minnechaug Scholarship Fund and other local charities.
“We do whatever we can, but we are not in a position to do a lot,” said store owner Denise Quinn who lives in town with her husband.
Quinn is a strong believer in the “think local, buy local” movement that encourages consumers to shop at local stores before heading to the big box stores. An example would be buying jewelry at Quinn’s rather than at a major national retailer in the area.
“We live in Wilbraham, have our store here, have put three kids for the school here and shop here,” said Quinn. “We would not be here without the support of our local community. That is what keeps our doors open.”
This unshakeable bond between community and business may just be what is driving this local charity-giving culture.
“When small businesses give back, it is almost like an ad,” said Walker evoking the “paying it forward” philosophy. “Hopefully people in the community will remember that and give back in turn.”
In the meantime, restaurants such as Abudanza, Donovan’s Irish Pub and Horizons and retailers including Inside Out, Chefranelle, It’s All About Me, Hodge Podge donate to fashion show fundraisers, and Baystate Dental won an award for giving free dental care for battered women as well as supporting Rick’s Place, DARE and the Jimmy Fund.
In Hampden LaCucina de Hampden House both Richard Green Insurance both collected toys for needy children at the holidays. Hampden Engineering Group, owned by the Flynn family supports many projects including concerts by the Old Post Road Orchestra.
In a strong community spirit, local banks such as Hampden Bank, Monson Savings and Country Bank are giving back by donating to various town projects for children and seniors.
“Banks are huge in supporting the community,” said Walker. “They put just as much money into community events as they do advertising their services, sometimes more.”
After their first customer appreciation day, Bocwinski decided she would “definitely” do another one.
“It’s a way to say ‘we love you.’ It’s about giving,” said Bocwinski.
