About Make My City

This November marks our second MMC week. What’s been so heartening about throwing together this large-scale, volunteer-run event is that I’ve learned how much my neighbors really do love it here—they truly want to make this city. Our little committee of shop owners, moms, and regular locals have walked all over downtown JC, passing out letters to small businesses, explaining our mission, and asking for a few bucks from each to help cover the cost of promotional materials. Now, we’ve printed our second map crowded with over 50 participating shops, each offering its own bargain of the week—and many holding free and discounted events.

And this fall, our tiny grassroots organization has proudly partnered with a J.C. non-profit, Rising Ride Capital, to bring Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide celebration of self-starters, to the city. Look for free and discounted workshops and events on an array of subjects at GEWJC.org. Most importantly, take the “Buy Local” Pledge this week for a chance to win great prizes.

I hope all of this is only the beginning of the story. I hope that these Make My City events ultimately inspire indie businesses to band together, meet for drinks once in awhile, and share ideas. I hope the rest of us use the week to slow down, leave the car at home, and chat up our friendly shopkeepers. I’m challenging myself to keep my money in JC—for deals and discounts, sure, but also to celebrate these shopkeepers. They’re the ones who offer those free comedy nights and jazz concerts; they’re the ones displaying our “handyman wanted” posters for free; they’re our neighbors. They make our city. —Cara Birnbaum

Thanks to Pam Andes, Althea Bernheim, Ronnie Campone, Celeste Governanti, Jennifer O’Malley, Karin Vanoppen, Gynine Visconti, and to the JC Moms Meetup Group.
Special thanks to Make My City writers Amy Birnbaum and Tracy Rowland, designer Heidi Short, publicist Aga ChenFu, treasurer Alex Chang, and web developer (my husband) Jacob Harmon.

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