Recently, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution proclaiming the week of November 23, 2012 – December 2, 2012 “Buy Local Week,” encouraging citizens to support Chicago’s locally-owned, independent businesses during the holiday shopping season. Locally owned businesses keep wealth circulating in our communities, adding to Chicago’s economic vitality and resilience and resulting in more vibrant and sustainable communities. Local First Chicago believes it takes a community to change our economy, and it can start with just $100 of holiday spending. If every household in Chicago shifted $100 of spending during the holiday season, it would keep $25 million from leaking out of our local economy.

This is Chicago’s third annual “Buy Local Week” to kick off Local First Chicago’s annual holiday shopping campaign “Unwrap Chicago: Eat, Drink & Buy Local” (www.eatdrinkbuylocal.org). The 2012 campaign includes partners from throughout the City including the City of Chicago, the Office of The City Treasurer, Choose Chicago and community and business partners from 30 neighborhoods. Local First Chicago is a network of locally-owned, independent businesses, non-profits, and community members joined together in the belief that locally-owned independent businesses are a crucial feature of economically and environmentally sustainable neighborhoods. For more information, visit www.localfirstchicago.org. Campaign Supporting Partners include, Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce, Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, and Little Village Chamber of Commerce, to name a few.