Opinion: Think local while doing your Christmas shopping

By now, the last of those Thanksgiving leftovers are gone and we don’t have to tell you how many shopping days are left until Christmas. If your internal clock counting down to the big day isn’t ticking, surely you’ve noticed all the reminders everywhere you look and every time you turn on the TV or radio or go online.

If you’re like most of us, you have yet to check off everyone on your list yet. So, while you’re still scrambling to find the perfect gifts for your friends and family, we’d like to suggest that you consider shopping locally before ordering online or heading to stores out of town.

There are more great gift options in local communities than ever before. From food to furniture, fine art, handmade crafts and much more, shopping local is not only convenient, but lets you feel good about investing in your community. It’s also a chance to rediscover your communities. In downtown Fort Mill alone, you can browse more shops than ever. You’ll find eclectic collectibles and more at Crossings on Main; Visit the art gallery at Olive’s Mud Puddle, where you can also find some of the best coffee in town.

We all like to eat. All of our communities feature a variety of restaurants and gift certificates are always appreciated.

For environmentally conscious and frugal shoppers, you might want to consider checking out local thrift shops. The Pawsabilities shop run by the Humane Society of York County and Paws in the Panhandle’s Pawsitively Thrifty shop are particularly well stocked with the kinds of quality merchandise you’ll find in any good department store at a fraction of the price.

Not only can you often find great, gently used merchandise, but you’re not adding all that cumbersome over-packaging to the waste stream. At the same time, your purchases help support organizations caring for homeless animals. Speaking of our four-legged friends, consider making a donation to any of the rescue shelters in our communities.

Still looking for Christmas decorations? The Humane Society’s Christmas shop in the former Bi-Lo shopping center off S.C. 160 has everything you need, from ornaments to trees and everything in between.

You also might want to consider donating to other local charities, such as the Fort Mill Care Center, Safe Passage, Tega Cay Neighbors Helping Neighbors and the Foundation for Fort Mill Schools, among others.

Shopping locally is also a great way to share in the Christmas spirit with your neighbors while celebrating your community. And if you live in York County, there is an added benefit: the Pennies for Progress 1-cent sales tax goes into a special fund that is used to maintain and build new roads. So, while you’re getting your Christmas shopping done you are giving a gift to yourself and everyone else at the same time!

If that doesn’t get you in the spirit of giving and shopping local, we don’t know what will.

This story was originally published December 5, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Opinion: Think local while doing your Christmas shopping."