Businesses In Sudbury, Ont., Embrace Give Back Friday

Some local businesses opt out of Black Friday, plan to donate to charities instead
Some Sudbury, Ont., businesses plan to give back to local charitable organizations on Black Friday instead of discounting their products.
“Everyone knows Black Friday is such a crazy day of consumerism,” said Kamilla Kowal, social media and marketing director with the Sudbury clothing store Stitch and Stone.
“So we decided the last couple of years to put a bit of a pause, a moment of reflection, and look at how we can give back to the community instead of incentivizing everyone to get caught up in the craziness of the day.”
This year, Stitch and Stone will donate a portion of its proceeds on Friday to the Sudbury Women’s Centre.
On Saturday, the store will also partner with Amici Food and Beverage, in Sudbury, to sell cookie-making kits. Proceeds from the kits will also go to the Sudbury Women’s Centre.
Kowal said that in past years, they’ve managed to raise around $1,000 for different local charities on Black Friday.
Guilia Carpenter, executive director of the Sudbury Women’s Centre, said fundraisers from local businesses like Stitch and Stone are a big help.
“It’s extremely important for us because not only does it assist us, the funds that are raised, to purchase basic need items for our clients that they’re needing on a day-to-day basis, but it also helps build the visibility of the centre,” she said.
The centre helps women navigating difficult circumstances.
“So a variety of our clients are coming from intimate partner violence, homelessness, addictions and everything in between,” Carpenter said.
She said the centre has a number of programs including its popular My Sister’s Closet, which is a little boutique where clients can pick up free clothing and other items.
Hannah Poole, owner of Good Luck General Store, which is a gift and plant shop in downtown Sudbury, will donate 20 per cent of the store’s proceeds on Friday to the Go-Give Project.
The organization is volunteer-run and offers harm reduction services to people in Sudbury.
“The help needs to start in your community and then you can build outwards and help outwards from there,” Poole said.
Poole said she chose to donate to the Go-Give Project because her business is located downtown, where there are more displaced people who benefit from their services.