Community is an integral part of the human experience. We know this based on many studies and theories, like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for example. Being a part of a community helps us develop a stronger sense of personal and collective identity, it makes us feel happier and actually makes us healthier.
Community is a pillar to our foundation at Zinnia's Gift Boutique and Home by Zinnia's. Both being family-run businesses, we knew that establishing a sense of community was going to be essential to our success when Zinnia's first opened 30 years ago. And we weren't wrong!
We want to pay tribute to our wonderful community here in Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz with five days of community love. You can follow the series on our Instagram and Facebook page, but for now, let's count down the top five reasons why we love our community.
1. Their ongoing support over the last 30 years
Day after day we are shown just how lucky we are to be in Scotts Valley and to have the support we do from our customers. They are the glue to everything we do- even opening our second store, Home by Zinnia's, simply would not have been possible (especially amidst a pandemic) without their support.
From coming to our events, like Men's Night and the Home by Zinnia's Grand Opening, to voting for us as the best business in Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz year after year, they supported us through it all.
2. They're extraordinarily generous
Our community is so generous. They always donate to our charity drives, like when the CZU lightning fires took place about a year ago and all of Scotts Valley and surrounding communities were evacuated from their homes. Many of them even lost their homes, which was absolutely devastating for our community.
With the help of our customers, we were able to donate blankets to those who lost their homes. We also had a lot of customers come in and purchase items for people who were displaced or rebuilding, which sums up just how generous our community is.
To celebrate the generosity of our community over the years, beginning March 1st, Zinnia's will donate one dollar from every purchase to the Scotts Valley Library!
3. They're very family-oriented
One of the many blessings of being a part of this community for 30 years is that our family has been able to watch many families in our community grow.
We've seen children grow up and move away to college, then come home for the holidays. We've watched generations of families- daughters, mothers, and grandmothers come into the boutique and shop together.
We feel extraordinarily blessed to have been a part of your lives for so many years. And in a way, we feel like we're a part of your family, too.
4. They're committed to their well-being and the well-being of their loved ones
We admire the commitment our community shows to their wellbeing and to the wellbeing of their loved ones. We see it every day when they come to the boutique to find the perfect gift for a friend, family member, or special someone.
We work exceptionally hard to curate a collection of intentionally made and locally sourced gifts that we know our community will love.
Here are the most gifted items from 2021:
5. They're committed to keeping our environment healthy
Given our environmental state here in California, the people in our community are committed to doing their part to conserve our homes and environment. We love to see people shop for accessories made from recycled material, and reusable totes and water bottles, for example.
Many of our customers want to know if the items we carry are produced locally, and our proud answer is that we try our absolute best to source all of our items locally and from the United States. We want to keep our carbon footprint as minimal as possible while supporting local artisans and small businesses like ours.
Indeed, these last few years have been rather strange for our personal relationships and well-being. Having to wear masks while you shop in the boutique, having so many restrictions at our events- it hasn't been easy, to say the least. But in a way, it's made us all closer because we've experienced hardships together and still managed to stay connected through the thick of it.
Make sure you stay up to date with our upcoming community events by subscribing to our newsletter and following along with our story on Instagram and Facebook.