MHCC Bookstore is a ‘Charming’ Place to Support Local Businesses

Posted August 30, 2012 

The Bookstore at Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) is drawing in new visitors through Try Local First, an initiative sponsored by the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce.

The program encourages community members to collect charms for charm bracelets from more than 70 businesses and nonprofit organizations located throughout east Multnomah County. MHCC has two charms available in the Bookstore, a megaphone and a mortarboard graduation hat, each $2.

‘Try Local First’ Campaign

Try Local First has been a big success for the city of Gresham and the surrounding area, according to Julie Godat, manager of the MHCC Bookstore. The program has two main goals. The first is to encourage community members to discover new shops and stores they would not have otherwise visited. The second is to keep money circulating in the community by making purchases from local businesses and service providers.

“Once someone has found a participating business and added a charm to their collection, they will be more inclined to make a repeat visit,” explains Bess Wills, chair of Try Local First and general manager of Gresham Ford. “I liken shopping locally to recycling – once you get in the habit, it’s easy. This really makes a positive impact on employment and our local economy.”

Genta Guitron, merchandise buyer at the MHCC Bookstore, is ecstatic to participate in the program. “Try Local First has brought in a whole new demographic of people to the Bookstore and introduced them to MHCC. It’s an excellent program.”

“We have much more to offer the community than textbooks,” says Guitron. “The MHCC Bookstore is a full-service business and we look forward to meeting new people through the charm bracelet program.”

She adds that new customers are often surprised by the breadth of merchandise available on campus. The Bookstore sells MHCC-branded clothing (customers receive a 10 percent discount on Fridays when they wear the school colors and donate a can of food), gift items, a large selection of Dakine backpacks and much more. Besides textbooks, customers may purchase popular fiction and non-fiction titles.

MHCC Offers Many Ways to Buy Locally

MHCC offers a variety of ways to buy locally – you can get your teeth cleaned at the Dental Hygiene clinic; get a mani-pedi, haircut and other services at the School of Cosmetology and Hair Design; climb an indoor rock wall, watch a play, visit the planetarium, and much more – all on your community college campus.

“These services and products are not only a great value, they provide an opportunity for students to gain practice in their future careers,” says Godat.

For more information about the program, please visit trylocalfirst.com. To find out more about the opportunities at MHCC, visit mhcc.edu.

By Teresa Lane