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Local business raises more than $5,000 to help others

Michelle, Caleb Fetter start Support Small Project

LEWISTOWN — Many local business owners are experiencing challenges like they have never imagined as the COVID-19 shutdown continues. Businesses are struggling to find ways to survive.

Michelle and Caleb Fetter, owners of Lewistown Printworks, got creative when they found out they did not qualify for the PPP loan. Although they could have applied for a disaster loan as a fairly new small business, they knew it would not be fiscally responsible or even possible to take on any more debt.

Looking for ways to survive with ideas from other screen printers, they launched a fundraiser called Support Small Project. The Fetters asked local Juniata River Valley businesses for designs or logos that could be printed on T-shirts that could then be sold to help support local businesses.

For every T-shirt purchase, $20 goes to the local businesses whose name or logo the patrons choose. The hope is that this would provide the participating local businesses with extra income during the COVIC-19 pandemic and help sustain the Fetters’ business as well.

As of this week the total raised for local businesses is $5,300.

The Fetters made the website, printed the shirts, handled the shipping, curbside pickups and delivery so participating businesses did not have to worry about any of that — they would just receive whatever money was raised for them each week.

“We plan on continuing the fundraiser until the county is ready to go green,” Michelle Fetter said. “We did this fundraiser because it has always been part of our morals as a small business in a small community when something disastrous hits, we take part. We felt like this was a way for us to help our friends and fellow small business owners.

“Even if it was just a small amount of income, we wanted to be able to help. This was also for others to market those businesses that they really love so that after COVID-19 they still remember them and continue to support them when this is over.”

For those interested in either entering their business logo or being part of the fundraiser by purchasing T-shirts, visit www.lewistownprint.com or send an email to lewistownprintworks@gmail.com.

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