Local First Vermont Releases Buy Local Book and App, Partners with VSECU

Buying local just got easier. Local First Vermont recently released the 8^th edition of the Buy Local Coupon Book and Mobile App. With coupons at more than 250 locally-owned, independent Vermont businesses, the resource makes it easier to learn about and support those businesses that routinely reinvest 45% back into Vermont’s economy. Print versions of the book are available at more than 50 retailers throughout the state, and the mobile app is available to download through both Google Play and Apple’s The App Store.

Local First Vermont is also excited to announce a partnership with VSECU to help others support Vermont’s local economy. From now until January 31st, 2018, anyone who becomes a member of VSECU online or by joining in a branch will receive free access to the coupons on the mobile app.

“As we rolled out the 8^th edition of the Buy Local Book and Mobile App, we made a real effort to include even more towns and businesses than last year, so it made perfect sense to partner with VSECU to spread the word,” said Local First Vermont Manager Samantha Sheehan. “As a statewide, Vermont-based credit union, VSECU understands the need to bolster all regions of Vermont’s economy, and encouraging people to buy local is a great way to do that, wherever they are.”

Sheehan said the 8^th edition contains coupons redeemable in nine different Vermont counties: Windham, Windsor, Bennington, Rutland, Washington, Addison, Grand Isle, Lamoille, and Chittenden. Of these, there are nearly 100 businesses included in the book who are part of the Rooted in Vermont movement. From farm stands, to farm-to-plate restaurants, to gardening centers, the coupons make it even easier to support Vermont's local agricultural system.

“In Vermont, we know the value of looking each other in the eye. We like to know our dollars are going to someone we trust,” said VSECU CEO Rob Miller. “Everything VSECU does is driven by our mission of improving the lives of Vermonters. By teaming up with Local First Vermont, we’re helping our neighbors join a local financial institution and save money at Vermont businesses by using eco-friendly coupons. It’s all very consistent with our mission.”

Sheehan also noted that the partnership is a great way to keep the focus on the more eco-friendly mobile app. Available for the second year, the mobile app has already been downloaded by more people in 2017 than in all of 2016. The mobile app, titled “Local First Vermont,” is free to download and the 250+ coupons can be activated for $20, the same price as the book. “By offering an electronic version, we are able to offer a more convenient and sustainable option, the app fits in your pocket and the coupons are available at the touch of a button.”

To learn more about Local First Vermont or to download the app, visit vbsr.org/local-first-vermont/

Local First Vermont is a program of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), which has partnered with VSECU on other initiatives in the past. VSECU has been a Champion Member of the organization since 2015, and Rob Miller recently served as a keynote speaker of VBSR’s annual fall conference. VSECU is a member-owned cooperative and not for profit credit union for everybody who lives and works in Vermont, offering a full range of affordable financial products and services to its member-owners. VSECU is committed to improving the lives of Vermonters by empowering the possibilities for greater social, environmental, and financial prosperity. For more information about VSECU, call ‪802/800 371-5162 or visit ‪www.vsecu.com.

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VBSR is a statewide, non-profit business association with a mission to advance a business ethic that values people and planet as much as profit. Through economic development, education, public influence, and networking, VBSR strives to help 750+ members set a high standard for protecting the natural, human, and economic environments of the state's residents, while remaining profitable. Learn more or join the cause at www.vbsr.org.