Oakwood Healthcare Says ‘I Shop Where I Work’
Oakwood is encouraging its employees to spend their shopping dollars in the city they work.
It’s no secret Dearborn businesses are struggling. Hit any local restaurant or store at lunch hour and you can see it for yourself. But what if those who travel to Dearborn each day for work made a conscious decision to spend a portion of their shopping dollars in the very city they worked?
If you’re Oakwood Healthcare in Dearborn and your 6,000 employees and 1,300 physicians were encouraged to do just that we think the impact could be a positive one.
That’s exactly what Mary Zatina, senior vice president of government relations, corporate planning and communications at Oakwood Healthcare Inc., who works in Dearborn, is doing. She is encouraing Oakwood employees in Dearborn and at the company’s 37 other locations in metro Detroit to spend their lunch dollars or running errand dollars in the cities in which they work. That’s a total of 10,000 Oakwood employees, which is a lot of buying power.
“We want people to chose us (Oakwood) so we need to do the same,” Zatina said. “We need to spend our money where we earn our money. We need to give back to the community.”
We think it’s a great idea and one that many other companies with operations in Dearborn should adopt, too.
Oakwood employees are quietly telling areas businesses that they have their support by simply leaving behind their business cards in those glass bowls some restaurants keep near the cash register that encourage patrons to drop their card off.
One of the labels on the back of an Oakwood business card.
On the backside of these Oakwood business cards are sticker labels that let the owner of the store or restaurant know Oakwood employees are trying to do their part to help during these trying economic times.
One label reads: “Times are tough, but we will survive this economic challenge together as a community — that’s why I chose to bring my business here.”
Another one reads: “Consumers have choices, and I choose to spend my money in the community in which I make my money. We are stronger together.”
And still another reads: “I shop where I work! We’ll survive this economic crisis if we support our community together.”
The labels were the brainchild of Zatina who says they are now spreading like “wild fire” at Oakwood in just a month since it began. “It is a little something to show the community that we care. We are in this together and we are going to make it together.”
Well said.
February 21st, 2009 at 8:48 am
what a great idea. simple but brilliant. it will take all of us to get through these trying times. we need to support our own. i plan to suggest this idea where I work, too.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:01 am
It really is a great idea, and to make it even better the businesses should get together with the Chamber and offer a discount for the employees of these businesses. Even if the WDDA got together and offered an employee discount to each other say a 10% discount for any employee that works in the group of businesses that alone would help. Even restaurant and bar employees go out and eat and drink at locations other than their own.
Another idea could be to get customers to shop at other stores while the are in the area, say show your reciept from one of these other businesses the same day and get 20% off. It could be done as simply putting up posters and counter cards…..
February 21st, 2009 at 9:39 am
Yes I agree. This may be one simple way for Oakwood Hospital employees to make a positive difference in Dearborns economy by again turning left out of Oakwood Hospital instead of right.
February 21st, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Every small step combines and has the potential to make a big difference. Great idea Oakwood!
February 21st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Oakwood Hospital probably has a better retail shop than anything we have in “Downtown Dearborn”.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 am
While that is great news for Oakwood Hospital Donna, if it’s true then it is sad news for DTWD.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I am sure most Oakwood Hosptal / Dearborn employees shop at the center in Allen Park on their lunch break. It’ so close for them.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
and free.
February 25th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Now, all we need is an “I Shop and Eat (but not for free), and pay property taxes where I work” –especially the vast majority of police, firefighters and other city workiers who not only don’t live in Dearborn—many don’t even live in Wayne County.
Dearborn voters approved minimum staffing levels for both police and firefighters, so why is it so hard to find qualified candidates that actually are willing (gasp!) to live here?
Thoughts??
February 25th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
There aren’t enough English speaking ones.