FAIRVIEW, Oregon — The owner of Divine Mocha in Fairview was busy Monday afternoon. Barb Sellers was not complaining. She says the last few months have been anything but normal.
"The business.. it diminished some," she said.
Quad's Garden, just down the street from Divine Mocha, has been slow, too.
"It's been difficult," said Sadie Sifuentes. "We've tried to do new things to bring in sales."
The city of Fairview recognizes the hardships due to the pandemic and they are now doing something about it.
"I just say buy local," said Kathy Kudrna of the Fairview Community Engagement Committee. "We try to promote that everywhere we go."
Kudrna says every Wednesday for the foreseeable future the committee is picking one local business and giving them $10 coupons to give to some of the first customers through the door. They are calling it Welcome Back Wednesday. The hope is that the coupons entice people to spend money at local businesses.
"We want to see them thrive and this has been hard," said Kudrna. "Hopefully this gets the traffic out there a little bit more."
More foot traffic is exactly what the manager at Quad's Garden is hoping for.
"We're excited the city is helping us," said Sifuentes.
Sellers thinks the nice gesture from the city will be the shot in the arm her business needs. "I think this will have a positive impact," she said.
Regardless of the outcome, Sellers believes she will be just fine.
"I just know," she said. "The Lord will work it out. That's wonderful and it gives me peace."