Louisville Celebrates Second Annual Yelp’s Guide To Giving

Louisville’s small businesses and non-profit organizations are the heart and soul of this city. They provide its wonderful weirdness as well as the compassion that the Derby City has become known for.

So this holiday season — for the second year — we gave back and showed our appreciation through Yelp’s Guide to Giving 2016.

More than $1,000 was raised and more than 150 toys and wish list items were collected for four local non-profits through five pop-up events.

The promotion also included events that encouraged giving back in other ways, a local gift guide, Yelp Foundation Gives Local and the Customer Service Appreciation Project.

For the third year, Louisville hosted its Bountiful Buy Local Thank You with the Louisville Independent Business Alliance, where guests put their thanks for local businesses to paper using the cards, pens, typewriters and other fun that Yelp had available. More than 200 cards were written to 125 businesses and non-profits, at the event at Revelry Boutique Gallery.

And then following that event, two Yelp Louisville Elites hosted an unofficial Yelp event, at which guests penned 105 letters of welcome and compassion to the refugees and immigrants supported by the Americana World Community Center.

We brought back the Coffee Giving Hours with Heine Brothers Coffee, where Yelp bought customers coffee if they gave $2 or more to Volunteers of America, with Heine Brothers matching $200. Residents also gave to the Academy of Music Production Education and Development, a youth organization, at SET at Theatre Square, and Stout Burgers & Beers was generous in bringing other local businesses and customers together to give to St. Joseph Children’s Home. With Story Louisville co-working space, items were gathered for Home of the Innocents.

And as part of second annual Customer Service Appreciation Project, Yelp Louisville elves surprised 10 Louisville customer service workers, who were praised by name in Yelp reviews, with gift baskets full of items donated by businesses. The reviews were nominated by members of the Yelp Elite Squad. See pics of the recipients and their laudatory reviews here.

Thanks to these sponsors, which made giving so much fun! 

Revelry Boutique Gallery • Louisville Independent Business Alliance • SnoWhat Snoballs • Butchertown Soda • Akasha Brewing Co. • SET at Theatre Square • Story Louisville • Heine Brothers’ Coffee • VINT Coffee • Stout Burgers & Beers

It was great to be able to give to these nonprofits.

Americana World Community Center • Academy of Music Production Education and Development (AMPED) • Home of the Innocents • Volunteers of America • St. Joseph Children’s Home

And thanks to these Louisville businesses and nonprofits, which generously gave to our Customer Service Appreciation Project gift baskets.

Louisville Independent Business Alliance • eyedia, design it again • Mercury Ballroom • Block Party Handmade Boutique • Single Barrel Soaps • Copper & Kings Distillery • Yes Louisville: Discover Your City. Discover You • Wood & Twine • Flour de Lis Bakery • The Mayan Cafe • Actors Theatre of Louisville • CenterStage at the Jewish Community Center • Louisville Public Media