This education campaign grew to 460 participants in 2005. Businesses say that three years ago no one asked them if they were locally owned, but today on a regular basis, (many say daily or weekly), customers tell them they are there choosing their business because they want to support local businesses and this community.

“Three years ago, being ‘local’ was a non-issue. Now there isn’t a day that goes by that someone doesn’t say they are in supporting our business because we are local and that is important to them. In the fifteen years that I have owned my business, I have found Sustainable Connections to be the most effective, most rewarding, and most cost-effective organization I have encountered.” ~ John D’onofrio, Owner, Northwest Computer

Just as important, businesses are increasingly committed to choosing local first themselves – to buying from other local service providers or by choosing locally made and grown items. In fact we have had to become much more actively involved in helping businesses to source from local farms by hosting what has now become the largest local agricultural trade meetings in Whatcom County and by producing the first modern times producer/buyer directory for food and farm products.

The visibility and effectiveness of this campaign show no sign of slowing and should continue to add to growing wholesale and retail sales in Bellingham, leading to increased tax revenue necessary to invest in important services that help keep this community functioning at a high level.  

This education program has caught the attention of Washington State Governor Gregoire, who was quoted in the Bellingham Herald, saying “'What a vision for the community - to talk about how we can build a sustainable community, we should build on our small businesses, we can buy locally," she said. A vision "that I hope can be emulated literally throughout the state of Washington.'" It has also been featured in national documentaries, national press, and in Frances Moore Lappe’s, (author of Diet for a Small Planet), newest book, Democracy’s Edge.