Senator Risch’s Support Local Gems Initiative

Cesar Pocatello, KPVI

April 21, 2020

Stores continue to stay closed to indoor traffic due to the pandemic.

But Senator Jim Risch has started an initiative that he believes will keep Idaho strong and thriving during these unprecedented times.

“What we want to do is raise the awareness of the small businesses… So people think about this and think about how important small businesses are to our economy.”

And with over 50 percent of Idahoans being employed by small businesses, supporting them is crucial.

Senator Risch added that small businesses, “really provide us with a lot of things that really help us with our quality of life. We want to make sure that is still there when we come out the other side.”

Aaron Villano, Owner of Villano’s italian, explained what the initiative meant for him.

“This sort of thing what it does is it brings it to the forefront and keeps the idea alive in people’s minds and that’s a big deal for us.”

When asked if this would be helpful, aaron replied.

“You know every little bit helps, and any initiative like this or any publicity like this is good for a business of our size. It’s good for all business.”

Aaron also mentioned how Villano’s will be prepared for Friday’s wave of business.

“We will have a full staff on Friday to make sure everything is running smoothly, but we got to ask our customers to still be patient.”

You can support small businesses by shopping on their website, doing curbside pickup, or buying a gift card for a later date.