WASHINGTON — Still facing a recount and not yet sworn into office, Rep.-elect Tom Perriello is already taking care of constituents in Virginia’s 5th congressional district.
Perriello, a Democrat, published a directory called “Shop the Fifth” on his campaign Web site after Thanksgiving and sent an e-mail to 6,000 supporters, urging them to buy locally this holiday season.
“This is a time that people are hurting so much, we’ve just got to get creative,” Perriello said, noting the toll the economy has taken on local business owners. “If we can help encourage people to shop right here at home and keep the money in the community that’s a win-win for everybody.”
Bill Brown, who owns the Peanut Company of Virginia in Forest, is among scores of merchants on the list. “I’m the real small guy,” he said.
“The more exposure I can get to the general public to let ’em know I’m around ... the better it is going to be for us,” said Brown.
The Peanut Company depends on holiday sales, which made up 75 percent of its revenue last year. Brown said he is working on his marketing plans for 2009 to increase sales beyond the holiday season. The new directory by the congressman-elect was a welcome surprise.
“It sounds like he’s interested in his constituents in his district, especially business people, especially at a time when things are getting tight,” Brown said.
Perriello, 34, said the idea to encourage people to buy in the district rather than from out-of-state chains or online stores came from a trusted adviser — his mom.
“She was traveling through Southside and she kept finding and falling in love with these places. She and I talked about it, and I thought it was a great idea,” Perriello said.
The list is a work in progress, and Perriello welcomes additions. It currently sorts merchants by location, from The Little Shop on Main Street in Stanardsville to Indulgence Day Spa in Martinsville.
“We really just tried to talk to folks through the district and poked around (to) see where we could bring a little business and holiday cheer and spread it around the 5th,” he said.
Carol Truxell was thrilled to see her Charlottesville bookstore being promoted by Perriello.
“I have never heard of something like this before,” said Truxell, who owns the New Dominion Bookshop. Established around 1924, it’s said to be the state’s oldest independent bookseller.
“It’s the locally-owned businesses that give a lot back to the community,” Truxell said. “...We are not able to do that unless we are supported by the community.”
Perriello’s “Shop the Fifth” directory, she said, was also a great way for people to learn about the rest of the congressional district, which stretches from Charlottesville to the North Carolina border.
“Most people know the Barnes & Noble is there,” Perriello said, “but they may not know the small independent bookstore is nearby.”
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