July 2010 Newsletter

Thank You New And Renewing Members

Affordable Energy Solutions
www.affordableenergysolutions.com

Adodyne Coffee
www.anodynecoffeehouse.com

Coastal Seafoods
www.coastalseafoods.com

Esse Bags
www.esselife.com

Electric Fetus
www.electricfetus.com

Factor of 4
www.factorof4.com

Glad Creations
www.gladcreationsquilts.com

Ideas to Words
www.ideastowords.com

Jennifer Larson Communication Design
www.jenniferlarson.net

Lottsa Financial
www.lottsa.com

Lucia's Restaurant
www.lucias.com

Riverside Business Products
www.riversidebiz.com

Weinblatt & Gaylord Attorneys
www.weglaw.com

Wellstone Action
www.wellstone.org

July is Independents Month in the Twin Cities

Although our mission is to support and advocate for locally owned businesses 12 months of the year, July has been deemed a special time by our national affiliate, AMIBA. 
Get your game piece (AKA Bingo card) at metroiba.org or buylocalmn.com, or at one of the 25 participating retailers, and register to win $1250 in gift cards.
Thank you to the following retailers for donating gift cards to make this promotion a success!

Amore Coffee
BankCherokee
Bay Street Shoes
Bibelot Shops
Birchwood Café
Black Dog Café
Butter Bakery Cafe
Electric Fetus
Eye Deals Eye Wear
First Tech Computers
Grand Hand Gallery
Ingebretsens
Izzy's Ice Cream
Keys Café
Kitchen Window
Linden Hills Coop
Mama's Pizza
Pea Pods Natural Toys
Smitten Kitten
Steve Be Yarn Garage
Treadle Yard Goods
Trotter's Café
Warners' Stellian
Wedge Coop
Wet Paint

Special thanks to AM 950 for airing over 200 radio spots throughout the month at no charge to the organization.

August 3 Networking Event

7:30-9:30 a.m.

Open Arms of MN
2500 Bloomington Ave. S
Minneapolis
612-872-1152

Open Arms of MN is a nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers nutritious meals to those living with chronic illnesses. Open Arms recently moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility in South Minneapolis. The architecturally designed building uses environmentally friendly cleaning products (by MetroIBA member ZAP Water Technology) and local food whenever possible. Recently, Open Arms received a donation of farmland where they are now growing organic vegetable for their clients suffering from cancer, MS, ALS, HIV/AIDS and other debilitating illnesses. The organization also supports a meal program for people with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. 

We are honored to have them as members, and thankful to them for hosting our August event. For more information, visit the Open Arms website.

Members In The News

Coastal Seafoods was featured in a Star Tribune article about rising seafood prices.

First Tech Computers differentiated itself from the new Uptown Apple store in the Star Tribune.

New York Times media columnist David Carr called MinnPost "one of the more promising experiments in the next version of regional news."

Park B4 Dark

5-9 p.m.

July 15 in St. Anthony Park

Come and support local merchants in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. 
Activities include the Pedal Pub, The Magic Hot Dog Bus, wine tastings, live music and extended hours and specials at all shops. Brought to you by SAP Community Foundation and MetroIBA. For more information, call 651-387-0738

Did you hear?

As part of our kick-off for Independents Month, Executive Director Mary Hamel represented MetroIBA and the localization movement on The Peter McClellan Show on Thursday, July 1. Listen to the MP3 clip.

Thank you volunteers!

Alex Hamel-Snapp
Julie Hansen-Bishop
Misty Havens
Michele Slifer
Julie Warner

And generosity from members…

Bay Street Shoes
Esse Reusable Bags
First Tech Computer
Warners’ Stellian
Wedge Coop