How a Simple Giveaway Became a Local Economic Engine

During the pandemic, we watched local Kingston businesses close one after another. These weren’t just stores. They were neighbours and community anchors. engagers' partner, Tim O'Hara, wanted to do something about it.

He bought gift cards from local shops and gave them away online. The idea was small: remind people that shopping local matters. What happened next surprised me. Thousands joined the daily draws, turning a simple gesture into a shared moment of hope and connection.

Five years later, Support Local Giveaway (SLG) and our partner platform Shop Local Kingston (SLK) have grown into a full community initiative:

• 4,200+ registered users
• 7,300 social followers
• 3,000+ local businesses promoted
• 3,000+ gift cards distributed
• Over $300,000 circulated back into the local economy

People typically spend 40–60% more than the value of a gift card, meaning those prizes created thousands of in-store visits and reinvestment. Add in local website builds, marketing help, and student collaborations, and the total community impact now exceeds $350,000.

SLG wasn’t about giveaways — it was about proving that people want to engage with local businesses when it’s easy and rewarding. That insight led to Shop Local Kingston, a marketplace where users can browse, buy, and book directly from local vendors. Every draw now drives traffic straight into our business directory, creating measurable sales for small shops.

In the last 90 days alone — with no paid ads — we’ve reached:
114,000 Facebook views, had 79,500 Instagram views, and 4,212 active website users.

These aren’t vanity metrics; they’re real people choosing local.

Through partnerships with Kingston Economic Development, Tourism Kingston, Downtown Kingston BIA, and student teams from Queen’s and SLC, we’ve been creating the digital infrastructure needed to support small businesses long-term.

Next, we are transitioning SLG and SLK are transitioning into a social enterprise by combining a for-profit business with a not-for-profit foundation to unlock grants and keep access affordable.

SLG began with gift cards, but what it truly created was connection. It showed that local economies can regenerate when people are given the tools, and the trust, to support one another.

Now we’re taking that model further: from giveaways to guided marketplaces, from Kingston to other cities, and toward systems of lasting community wealth.