We did it! Thanks for helping us win.

Written By Emily Liner
 
 

Great news: We won the People's Choice award in the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest!

We couldn't have done this without your help. Because of all your likes, shares, and support, Friendly City Books beat out over 8,000 other businesses nationwide for one of the 10 prizes that went to the entry with the most daily votes. That earned us $1,000 to go toward business expenses, and we are hoping it puts us in contention for the second round. If we get through the next round, we'll have a 10% chance of winning one of the 10 grand prizes worth $30,000.

I was floored by all of the love we received in this competition. It meant so much to me that so many people were rooting for us to win, from our customers here in Columbus to family members and friends I grew up with to former colleagues in my DC career.

Now I have a different request for y'all. Can you help us keep going by supporting Friendly City Books and pitching in on some causes near and dear to us?

My Grandma Em (who is my namesake) once said, "I wish I could turn every 'thank you' into a $100 bill." That has always stuck with me. Right now, I feel so rich in spirit because of y'all, but I can't say that I'm actually rich in my bank account. At the end of the day, the bookstore is a business, and we live and die by our sales. If you haven't had a chance to shop with us recently, we would love for you to pick up a book from us. Here are a few ways to do it:

There are also a lot of fundraisers going on right now that I wish we could participate in but just don't have the budget to help with. If any of these causes resonate with you, I hope you'll consider making a donation to them in Friendly City Books' name.

  • Erica Atkins Memorial: The bookstore community is in mourning for Erica Atkins, the owner of Birdsong Books in GA. Please help her daughter take care of her family and keep the bookstore going to honor her mother’s legacy. gofundme.com/f/erica-atkins-memorial

  • OffBeat Jackson: Support Mississippi's only Black-owned record and comic book shop as they recover from recent fire and water damage to their store. instagram.com/offbeatjxn

  • Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society: Our local animal shelter is holding their annual St. Patrick’s “pawty” today. clhumanesociety.org/donate-now

  • United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee: Our local United Way is the hub for so many great outreach programs in our area, and we regularly partner with them on educational initiatives and suicide prevention. www.uwlc-ms.org

  • Big House Books: Providing access to books for people incarcerated in Mississippi. While they accept book donations, their goal is to have the funding to fulfill specific book requests. We can help get books at cost if you can meet us halfway! www.bighousebooksms.org

  • MSMS Foundation: Giving gifted and talented students across the state advanced academic opportunities at my alma mater The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. msmsfoundation.com

Thanks so much, y’all!

P.S. Did you know that we weren't the only independent bookstore to win a People's Choice award? We were so excited to find out that Sundrop Books in Durant, Oklahoma, also won! We talked to owner Taylor Walker Batton in an Instagram Live and gave each other video bookstore tours. Check it out here!

Emily Liner
Previous

Choose community today.