The Retail Therapy Guide - 5/22/2020

It's Memorial Day Weekend, and we have 3 words to kick off this weekend edition of the newsletter: THANK YOU Veterans. Re-read this speech from LTC Caroline Pogge on a  woman's perspective during her time serving in Iraq. She reminded the audience that women first started serving in the armed forces in secret.


Dutchess County Memorial Day Drive-By Parade
Day
: Monday, May 25, 2020
Time: 11am
Location: Throughout Dutchess County
This may be the largest Memorial Day parade the county has seen with a cavalcade of vehicles from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and fire vehicles from various municipalities and districts. The convoy will depart at 11 a.m. from Poughkeepsie and the Dutchess County War Memorial.

Beacon of Love Fareground Fundraiser Preview
Day
: Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Location: beacon-of-love.myshopify.com
Beacon of Love, a coalition of area residents, are announcing an online art show/fundraiser to benefit Fareground, a Beacon-based nonprofit organization, that has ramped up its efforts to combat food insecurity in the wake of Covid-19. On May 26, the online fundraiser will go live for previews only at https://beacon-of-love.myshopify.com/. Featuring works by 30 local artists and with prices tiered at $100, $150, and $250, the sale will go live on May 30 and run through June 2.
Information >


The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) Virtual 5K Run & Walk
Days
: Sunday May 17-June 17, 2020
Time: At Your Own Pace
Location: Favorite trail, your neighborhood, the park, your treadmill!
Complete a 5 Kilometer run and/or walk (5K kilometers = 3.1 miles) in the comfort of your own neighborhood or on a treadmill between May 17th  and June 17th, 2020. You choose the date, the time and location.
Information >

 

Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week!

 

See Who's Brewing Coffee In Beacon and  Who is Brewing Beer And Selling Cans In/Near Beacon

Visit A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide for updates on who is open, delivering, or has paused for now.

THE VAULT 
The Vault is now offering free local delivery! Call (845)202-7735 to place your order! Their hours are: 
Tues-Thur 12-7pm
Fri & Sat 12-8pm
Sun 12-7pm

They have $5 off $35, $10 off $50 discounts from Tuesday to Thursday. 
Information >


BEACON PANTRY

Beacon Pantry is open 10am-6pm - closed Mondays but you can still order or pick up. The store is stocked full of goods.  Check out what is on their shelves through their Instagram (@beaconpantry) and plan ahead for your next curbside pick up order. If you do come to the store, please wear a mask and follow their capacity guidelines posted on our door.  View their product list HERE.  Contact Beacon Pantry by email or phone at Beaconpantry@gmail.com or (845) 765-1933. 
Information >


EAT CHURCH
Thursday through Sunday you can grab a bite to eat from Eat Church. You can grab their daily special or pick from their menu. Visit their website to view current menu & place your orders for pickup or delivery or call (917) 364-0838. Online ordering is super easy! And the view of the mountain is spectacular. Eat Church food truck located on the hill at Industrial Arts at 511 Fishkill Avenue.  Plenty of parking in the swooping parking lots.
Follow them on Instagram (@eatchurch) for daily specials only available at the truck.
Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
 
KITCHEN SINK
Kitchen Sink has been popping open on the weekends with a stuffed theme. Lots of things are stuffed and little, and available in limited quantities. Their menu opens up on the weekend, and you got to go to their website fast to place your order. Same with Eat Church if you want to snag their specials!




 
 
HOMESPUN FOODS
Homespun is hanging in there as a wine shop at the moment, and specialty grocery destination or delivery service! The wine list at Homespun is selective and extremely special, if you value where the vine is rooted and how the growing season was. Saturdays are their days for pickup of grocery and wine bundles, and delivery is available for other days. While the kitchen is not open, you can still get carrot cake logs! Start browsing here.

 
 


SOLSTAD HOUSE
Solstad House asks "what exactly does an open retail shop look like in the COVID-19 era?" They want to hear from YOU. While there will mandates in place (ie: wearing masks, etc.) they want to know what else can be done to make you, the customer, feel safe not only in their shop but other local businesses in Main Street. Leave a comment in their Instagram post with your thoughts.
Information >



BINNACLE BOOKS
Beacon artists  @daniel_weise and @kalener (@clubdrawbeaconny) have put together an incredible initiative called WearTogether which pairs local artists with local businesses: the result, beautiful t-shirts with proceeds supporting both the artists and the businesses. You have TWO weeks to get your hands on this limited edition BINNACLE BOOKS / URSULA K. LE GUIN T-SHIRT drawn by @shamblanderson!  Order by visiting this link.  You can find more Beacon businesses participating and support at https://weartogether.shop/pages/beacon-ny
Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!


PTACEK HOME

We don't have to tell you how beautiful Hudson Valley wood is, let the endgrain speak for itself! Save a chunk of wood this Memorial Day! Order now on PTÁČEK Home's website at www.ptacekhome.com with curbside pickup or front door delivery! This One Chunk Console is now 30% off, now at $664.  Visit their website for more information!
Shop Now >
PTACEK Home is a Sponsor, thank you!


LUXE OPTIQUE
Luxe Optique is featured in A Little Beacon Blog's latest article on how some boutiques who were slow to build an ecommerce side of their websites, quickly dove in to develop this option when the shut-down happened. While Luxe Optique did have a website, they are currently building a new ability to order contacts online - even if you got your prescription with another doctor. Read all about it!
Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!


ECHO BOUTIQUE
Don’t all rush at once…space yourselves…but one of the most innovative shop windows in Beacon right now is at Echo Boutique at 470 Main Street, on the east end of town near the mountain. This boutiques with a wide curated selection of women’s clothing, kids toys, and some men’s accessories as well, was one of the first stores to voluntarily shut down - even before the Executive Order. Now, they are one of the first windows on Main Street to organize inventory in such a way that people can shop by number from the other side of the glass.

BEAUTY TIP
Are you trimming your own bangs? Shaping your own beard? Plucking your own eyebrows? Massaging your own neck? If you miss your stylist for these things, go ahead and send them some cash when you're doing this beauty update to yourself. They will thank you, and it helps them see you on the other side.

Change is hard! Adapting to learning online through Zoom and other meeting platforms can be intimidating.  Our Managing Editor, Marilyn Perez, shares her own experience overcoming her anxiety when she had to take her yoga teaching from the studio to her bedroom (!!) for Firefly Yoga's online Zoom classes.  And while she's referencing yoga, this can be applied to any kind of online gathering from classes and workshops to meetups! You can read more in her personal blog Ink+Coffee+Yoga

Not Quite BOB Teen Zoom Book Club
Day
: Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Time: 3pm
Host: Howland Public Library
The library's annual summer program Battle of the Books has been cancelled. So, while you'll have to wait until next year to compete to for the banner, that doesn't mean you can't meet to share your love of reading. Interested in joining? Email Coach Michelle at community@beaconlibrary.org. You don't have to be a former High School Battle of the Books team member to join.
Information >

Zoom Trendy Stitching Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day: Thursday, Day
: Thursday May 28, 2020
Time: 3:30pm
Host: Howland Public Library
Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use a trendy one-straight-stitch embroidery technique to accessorize or fix clothes and other items.
Information >

Zoom Stay Put Bookmark Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day
: Thursday, May 28, 2020
Time: 5pm
Host: Howland Public Library
Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use material and hand stitching techniques to create a personalized bookmark.
Information >
 
View more upcoming classes for in the Adult Classes Guide and Kids Classes Guide.

BEACONARTS

Have you seen the makeover done to the brick man on N. Chestnut St just off Main Street? Located on the side of Last Outpost next to Dennings Point Distillery, BeaconArts caught up with building owner Joe Darmetko adding a mask to "the duke".  Meet Joe in this Instagram video
Watch here >

ANTALEK & MOORE
A friendly reminder from Antalek & Moore that their offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2020 for the Memorial Day Holiday. And if you're planning a cookout at home with your immediate family, don't forget to clean and maintain your grill as our friends at Antalek & Moore recently reminded us in this video they shared from Lowe's on their Facebook page

PS: It's Friday, and Antalek & Moore wants to know what you're doing this weekend to get your foodie on? Chime in on their Instagram post! ALBB is ordering mozzarella sticks, at the very least, from Max's.
Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!


TIN SHINGLE
Thinking of becoming a screenwriter? Are you dusting off your keyboard to finally type it out? Tin Shingle Members get to watch this interview with a person such as you, Patty Carey, who lost sight of her writing dreams when her career in Location Managing in New York City took over her life. When she had children and took the summers off, her itch to write grew stronger, and she listened. Her first show was produced last year, after winning a contest of 300 other writers.
Watch This >


KATIE JAMES, INC.
Do you need to build your website? You do, and it's a daunting task. Sometimes, all you need is a sounding board. An expert to hold your hand as you plot your way through. Many tools are out there for you to turn the lights on, but which one do you use, and how? Square, Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify, and other niche platforms that offer special tools for specific industries. Katie James Inc. and Tin Shingle are introducing a 3-session series where people can sign up and call in to workshop their websites in a group setting.
FREE: For Tin Shingle Members, and Beacon businesses with a storefront on Main Street. There will be a fee for others taking it, and registration is limited. Details with signup link will be posted soon.
We got a suggestion in from a reader, who wanted to know how to send A Little Beacon Blog financial support to help us continue to produce. Even just $5. First of all: THANK YOU to that reader for wanting to do this!
Support Here >

People Who Have Given
Reading your comments of what ALBB means to your life has been humbling and keeps us going. Thank you.
See Who Supported >
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Giving Tuesday Guide: A Little Sampling for 2018

Photo Credit: Collage of screenshots of websites of the organizations below.

Photo Credit: Collage of screenshots of websites of the organizations below.

For this year’s Giving Tuesday Guide, we wanted to shine the light on groups we don’t talk about often enough, who serve people in Beacon or the Hudson Valley at large. If you have ideas of who we should highlight next year, submit them in the comments below. If you’re reading this article after Giving Tuesday, you can of course donate any day of the year!

EDITORIAL NOTE: The descriptions of the Missions and What They Do have been taken from each organization’s own website (with the exception of ARF), to best describe how they serve:

The Ramps at Memorial Park aka A Beacon Skatepark

Photo Credit: Facebook page of The Ramps at Memorial Park.

Photo Credit: Facebook page of The Ramps at Memorial Park.

MISSION: After years without a place to ride in Beacon, a small group of dedicated volunteers have partnered with the City of Beacon Parks and Recreation department to bring a skatepark back to Beacon. They are fundraising to turn the dream into a reality and build the park together with the community.

HOW THEY DO IT: With visions, builders, grit, and a lot of lumber. You can see in-progress pictures here at their Instagram.

DONATE HERE >


Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)

Photo Credit: Screenshot from ARF’s website.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from ARF’s website.

WHAT THEY DO: Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) provides shelter and caregiving to kitties, puppies, and adult cats and dogs. ARF tries to match the right animal with the right forever homes. You can see the dogs here, and the cats here.

HOW THEY DO IT: In addition to their daily caregiving to animals in their shelter, ARF partners with Pilots n Paws to be a shelter to animals who need it. Pilots n Paws is an organization that was founded by two pilots who were passionate about rescuing shelter animals in need. Pilots and plane owners volunteer their time, planes, and gas to transport animals from point A to point B. Shelters/rescues/fosters who want to save animals that would otherwise be euthanized and that not do well on a ground transport, and/or would otherwise have to travel long distances, will post a transport request with ARF.

DONATE HERE >


Photo Credit: Screenshot from The Highlands Current website.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from The Highlands Current website.

WHAT THEY DO: The Highlands Current is a local newspaper that has included Beacon in its regular coverage. They send a reporter, Jeff Simms, to most City Council meetings, as well as other city board meetings.

MISSION: The Highlands Current’s mission is to be a fair and trusted source of information for their Hudson Highlands communities, and to provide a lively forum for wide-ranging views.

HOW THEY DO IT: Through both their website, HighlandsCurrent.org, and their print edition, The Highlands Current, they seek to reflect the rich variety of interests, concerns and experiences of their readers and to communicate their stories in the most up-to-date manner possible. They will report without bias or favor for any particular agenda or partisan political point of view.
P.S.: I, Katie, have a monthly column here!

DONATE HERE >


SHRED Foundation

Photo Credit: Screenshot from the SHRED Foundation website.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from the SHRED Foundation website.

WHAT THEY DO: SHRED focuses on instilling confidence among youth by using snowboarding to increase kids’ belief that they can and will succeed at whatever it is they put their mind to.

MISSION: Currently based in the Hudson Valley and Catskill regions of New York, SHRED Foundation works to introduce the youth in local rural and urban areas to snowboarding, and to open their eyes to the opportunities and growth it provides. By harnessing the unifying power of snow/skate culture, SHRED works to inspire youth to follow an alternative path and to engage their drive and creativity to follow it. The majority of the kids that participate in the winter program have never stepped foot on a board. By teaching them something as simple as turning a piece of wood down a hill covered in snow, they walk away with so much more than a newfound passion for snowboarding.

HOW THEY DO IT: SHRED partners with local stakeholders (organizations, schools, local recreation departments, snow/skate companies, reps, shops, mountains, and brands) and values the importance of teaching its youth the core aspects of the culture, which include individuality, creativity, progression, entrepreneurial drive and community.

DONATE HERE >


Photo Credit: Screenshot from The Art Effect website.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from The Art Effect website.

MISSION: The Art Effect is committed to advancing young people’s journey from learning to leadership by engaging them in transformative practices in the arts and media that build future careers and foster personal development.

WHAT THEY DO: The Art Effect was born on January 1, 2018, as a result of the merger of Spark Media Project and Mill Street Loft, two impactful arts nonprofits based in Poughkeepsie, NY. With this merger, The Art Effect became a single, powerful arts education and youth development agency serving youth across the Hudson Valley.

Spark Media Project was founded in 1994 (originally named Children’s Media Project) by Maria Marewski. Spark Media Project, a media art, technology, and education organization, served young people, artists, schools and organizations in the Hudson Valley, with a focus on using media as a tool for creative expression, critical thinking, and skills development.

Mill Street Loft was founded in 1984 by Carole Wolf. Mill Street Loft delivered arts-based programming that has transformed the lives of thousands of residents and their families. Through visual arts courses, camps, and outreach programs, Mill Street Loft was committed to supporting personal growth, fostering self-expression, and enhancing human services through the arts in order to rebuild a shared sense of community.

HOW THEY DO IT: The Art Effect hosts events, classes, portfolio development, festivals, and an apprenticeship program

DONATE HERE >