“We’re all in this together and we’re all better for it.”
Executive Director Jane Murray & Creative Director Jeff Mellin at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center Townie Awards in York, PA
A letter from the Director
"Shop small. Shop local." For me that's about so much more than the transactions. It's about relationships and community building. It's about unreasonably excellent hospitality. It's about connections made over and over and friendships built over time. It's about appreciating and compensating the artisans and visionaries who create a vibe in the community. It's about meeting the same friendly faces here and there and building kinship and connection as we support the people behind the businesses. We trust them with our celebrations, our experiences, our dollars, and our hopes. Small business owners bring inspiration, skill, and passion to their business. By supporting them, we invest in the best of the best.
Since I moved to Ardmore in 2015, I’ve made friends of neighbors and grown friendships nurtured in third spaces and community hubs. I don't know the names of the Amazon drivers leaving boxes on my porch, but I know the names of local shopkeepers, business owners, and employees. I know their dogs' names. I know why they started their businesses, and why their passion fuels their hustle. And if their businesses close and our interactions are interrupted, I miss them all; the servers, bartenders, chefs, artists, and visionaries, off to make their mark elsewhere. Their struggles and successes are part of a shared community narrative. We're all in this together and we're all better for it.
I first met WED Main Line creative director and co-founder Jeff Mellin at Lulu’s Casita in Ardmore in 2017. He’s become one of my closest friends and collaborators. Occasional conversations collected as our children played led to working together on little community projects, then bigger, award-winning projects, and now this. We owe our friendship roots to the welcoming space and generous spirit of Dario and Vivi at Lulu’s Casita.
Shop small. Shop local. Eat local. Take a walk. Be strategic in your planning and spending. Say hi to that person you see all the time. Thank a shop owner for their window display. Step inside and make a purchase. Tell a friend or a fiancé. Thank a restaurant for the smell of garlic in the air. Introduce yourself to your barista. Write a positive review. Try something new. Build community one hello or transaction at a time. Be excellent to each other.
I'm glad you're here.
