Round II of the ‘Our Town’ Gift Card Match Program kicks off today

Consumers Energy donates $55,000 to jumpstart small businesses affected by COVID-19 through gift card program

The ‘Our Town’ Gift Match program is ready to roll again.

Thanks to the success and popularity of the first Our Town program in February, Consumers Energy is getting back together with the Flint & Genesee Chamber, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group, to encourage additional support and patronage of area restaurants, event venues and locally owned retail shops. And this time, a third member – the Michigan Municipal League Foundation – has joined the partnership.

Consumers Energy has donated $55,000 – more than double the amount in the first round – for the matching gift card program. Nearly 40 businesses in Flint and Genesee County are participating in the program where customers can double the value of gift cards purchased at their locations for a limited time.

“The Our Town gift card program is a win-win for businesses and customers throughout Genesee County,” said Andy Younger, executive director of the Flint & Genesee Chamber. “It will provide a much-needed boost in sales for our business partners and offer twice the value to participating consumers. It’s a great way to reintroduce our community to shopping locally.”

The Our Town program grew out of the need to help small businesses recover from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first round was focused on encouraging diners to support local restaurants.

The program operates the same as before. A customer who buys a $10 gift card at a participating business will receive a second $10 gift card at no cost to them. The maximum amount eligible to be doubled for one customer is $50.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the communities we serve, and they have definitely felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe investing in the Our Town campaign helps businesses to survive and thrive and provides an opportunity for shoppers to stretch their spending dollars,” said Lauren Youngdahl Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience.

The Michigan Municipal League Foundation signed on because the Our Town program aligns with its efforts to advance community wealth through strategic partnerships and investments in strong, diverse leadership for Michigan communities and place-based initiatives that drive equitable outcomes.

“The MML Foundation is proud to join Consumers Energy and the Flint & Genesee Chamber in supporting this gift card effort. This program will provide much needed financial assistance to our local businesses that need it the most in emerging from the pandemic,” said Foundation President Helen D. Johnson. “Our Foundation believes in community wealth building and enhancing the human experience in our communities in ways that share economic prosperity for everyone. That is exactly what this gift card program does.”

The promotion resumes April 9 and will run until the donated funds are depleted. Unless noted otherwise, community members can take advantage of the program by visiting one of the following Chamber member locations and asking to purchase a gift card through the Our Town program.

To learn more about the gift card match program, visit flintandgenesee.org/ourtown.