May 7, 2020 | Community Spotlight: Main Street Kudos | By: Abby Armato, Communications Coordinator, NMSC | 
During these unprecedented times, people all over the country are working tirelessly to support Main Streets and downtowns. We wanted to highlight these volunteers—the neighbors, Main Street staff, and others—who spread joy and support for our communities. Through our Main Street Kudos form, Main Street programs from around the nation have shared stories of individuals and local businesses in their community who went above and beyond to support neighbors. We’ve been sharing these stories throughout the month on our social media channels, and present a roundup of them here for your reading pleasure.
Woodall Orthodontics (Villa Rica, GA)
Villa Rica Main Street in Villa Rica, Georgia, sent a Main Street Kudos to Woodall Orthodontics.
Woodall Orthodontics hosted a Chalk the Walk Contest to get their community involved. Winners of the contest receive a $100 gift card and a donation made on their behalf to COVID-19-fighting charity of their choice.
Arcaro’s The Next Generation (Pittston, PA)
Downtown Pittston Partnership in Pittston, PA, sent a Main Street Kudos to Francine Arcaro of Arcaro’s The Next Generation.
Since the onset of COVID-19, Francine Arcaro has offered free lunches to all young people in the City of Pittston. Ranging from hot dogs to slices of pizza to chicken tenders, these hot lunches include delivery. Francine has served lunch to over 50 kids a day.
Red Fork Distillery (Tulsa, OK)
Tulsa Route 66 Main Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sent a Main Street Kudos to Mike and Dana Hoey, owners of Red Fork Distillery.
On a typical day, Red Fork Distillery produces craft spirits: aged whiskey, moonshine, and various types of vodka. During the pandemic, Mike and Dana Hoey have added hand sanitizer to the production list. On March 19, the family received notifications that the Federal government was lifting restrictions and allowing distilleries to start making hand sanitizer. Within a day, the Distillery worked out the formula to make it and had delivered its first batch to the Tulsa Police Department. “We were packaging it in empty whiskey bottles because that is all we had at the time,” Dana Hoey said in a recent interview. While the containers have shifted to plastic, this sanitizer has continued to go directly to first responders.
Taking Care of Our Caretakers (Batavia, IL)
Batavia MainStreet in Batavia, IL, sent a Main Street Kudos to two volunteers working hard to manage their Taking Care of Our Caretakers campaign: Jamie Koc and Sarah Vogelsinger.
Taking Care of Our Caretakers is an initiative from Batavia MainStreet that provides meals from local restaurants to those working on the frontlines of the pandemic. The organization sent a kudos to Jamie Koc for being a driving force of this program, helping to raise over $20,000 to feed caregivers and others during this crisis. “She is an outstanding volunteer and community member!” said Bonnie Baumgartner, Special Events Coordinator for Batavia MainStreet.
The Main Street program sent a kudos to Sarah Vogelsinger for stepping up to serve as the Restaurant Coordinator for this initiative. “Sarah is bright, sunshiny person who people love to work with!” said Beth Walker, Sponsorship Coordinator for the organization. For the last two years, Sarah has served as the Food Coordinator for Batavia’s Community Dinner Table event—an event that raises funds for the local food pantry.
Monica’s Restaurant (Livermore, CA)
Livermore Downtown in Livermore, California, sent a Main Street Kudos to Monica’s Restaurant.
Specializing in handcrafted breakfast and lunch American “comfort” food and baked goods, Monica’s in Livermore typically has a robust line-up of live events. Due to the pandemic, these live events had to be postponed until further notice. But that didn’t stop the restaurant from hosting virtual concerts.
Monica’s hosted a live-streamed concert fundraiser from their restaurant. This “Virtual Night of Music” event included four musicians who live-streamed their set from their houses. Funds from the event went to a local food bank and to provide hot meals for those recently laid off due to the pandemic. This Virtual Night of Music raised $4,500. Monica’s was also able to get restaurant food distributors to donate products to these food organizations, matching the cash donations.
Corey Wolfe (York, PA)
Downtown, Inc., in York, Pennsylvania, sent a Main Street Kudos to Corey Wolfe, Executive Director of Re-Source York.
Just before the COVID-19 crisis, Corey Wolfe became the Executive Director of Resource York: a nonprofit selling donated furniture and recycled home improvement products to benefit a local non-profit. During his time as ED, Corey has had to lay off the entire staff due to the pandemic. So Corey took an overnight stocking job at a grocery store. He plans to donate his paychecks directly to his employees. “I have known Corey for well over a decade,” said Hannah Bread, Communication Coordinator for Downtown, Inc., “and he never ceases to amaze me at his drive and passion to make York County a better place.”
The Filling Station Pet Supplies (Portland, OR)
Alberta Main Street in Portland, Oregon, sent a Main Street Kudos to Laura Amiton at The Filling Station Pet Supplies.
Worried that people who are have lost income due to the pandemic will struggle to purchase food for their pets, Laura Amiton with The Filling Station Pet Supplies has started a program to provide support. Laura created a program where people can make an anonymous request and receive food for their dog or cat. After reaching out to their suppliers, The Filling Station Pet Supplies were gifted high quality dog and cat food to help their customers in financial need. What's more, they have also been offering local delivery and curbside pick-up. "The last thing we want is for you to have to make life-altering decisions about keeping [your pets] in your lives due to financial crisis," the pet store said. "We're here to help."