By: Charles Mombo

Hyde Park – The Silverroom
Hyde Park businesses give life to our beautiful neighborhood, and right now they need our help more than ever. Without our local shops, bookstores, thrift stores, cafes, and restaurants etc., not only does our economy suffer, but so does the heartbeat of the community.
In case you’re wondering what you could do to help. Here are three simple ways to support our local during these trying times.
Spread the Love
Behind all our favorite Hyde Park businesses are people: people with a dream to share their craft and passion with all of us. And right now, those dreams are in jeopardy. As a society, we’re collectively feeling overwhelmed. But a little kindness whether in the form of a smile, a “thank you”, or yes, a good tip, goes a long way. When we all do our part in supporting our Hyde Park businesses, not only will we survive this — but we’ll come out even stronger in the end.
Shop for Gifts
Even during such uncertain times, one thing is for sure: there will still be holidays, birthdays, and happy moments worth celebrating. Be one step ahead of the upcoming occasions by shopping online for special gifts.
When you order that perfect Thanksgiving basket for your friend’s hungry hound, you’ll be supporting the local Hyde Park pet supply stores that depend on each and every sale.
Shout-Out on Social Media
We can’t all be famous influencers, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use our social media platforms for a good cause. Use your voice and creativity to share a positive experience you’ve had with a Hyde Park business. That might mean making the effort to get the perfect shot of your Pumpkin Spice Latte from your favorite cafe or a perfect shot of you reading your copy of “A Promised Land,” from one of Hyde Park’s bookstores. Alternatively, you could do a 3-in-1 shout-out to multiple businesses by finding an excuse to show how nice you look in that outfit from the nearest thrift store while also giving a shout-out to your trainer for that nice figure of yours and also giving credit to the beautify salon or the photographer. Just don’t forget to tag them with a @!