Stronger Together Through Gratitude: Weekly Message from Maggie Campbell, President/CEO of DAMC

This week, I wanted to take a moment to pause and say thank you to our heroes. 

HOMETOWN HEROES

Acts of heroism are taking place all around our city. A neighbor texts daily with the older couple who lives next door. Coworkers get together for virtual meetings by day and virtual happy hours by night. A photographer clicks pictures from the curb as her friends pose for a family photo on their front porch.

For long-time Arlington residents, these acts of kindness don’t come as a surprise. Arlington is a big city that beats with the love of a small-town heart. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic is over, it will be impossible to know all the ways our community took care of each other. But let’s always remember the feelings of connectedness and gratitude we shared and were shared with us. 

On behalf of Downtown Arlington, we’re already immeasurably grateful to:

• Our healthcare professionals, who have been thrust into one of the biggest personal and professional challenges they will every face. Here are some ideas for supporting them.
• The Arlington Fire Department and Arlington Police Department, for their limitless expressions of courage and kindness through these dark days. If you’re a first-responder, visit the CDC website for resources.
• Educators, spiritual leaders, arts institutions, and self-care professionals, who have had to quickly adapt to new ways of lifting us up mind, soul and body. Special thanks to Dan Cavanaugh, chair of both the Art + Art History Department at UT Arlington and Downtown Arlington’s Cultural Arts Committee, for providing an extensive list of grants and other assistance available to our arts and cultural partners. 
• People who keep us connected through their commitment to sharing reliable information, such as local reporters, HR officers, and social media managers. Special shout out to Geocentric, the company behind our website redesign, for creating our Downtown Delivers platform at no charge.
• The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, her sister chambers throughout North Texas, and other entities who are providing free Facebook Live seminars on business support strategies, legislative advocacy, networking, and links to small business resources.
• All of the entrepreneurs and team members in the grocery, food service, and other trades, who are working night and day to safely serve our daily needs for food, water, electricity and shelter. In addition to the Chamber website, visit the City of Arlington and the Downtown Arlington websites for directories of coronavirus-related resources.

Speaking of our restaurant partners, we’d like to offer special thanks to our city leaders and Mayor Jeff Williams for their extraordinary efforts to respond to COVID-19 while amplifying kindness throughout our City. The Mayor’s #MealsForAMission campaign, for instance, not only supports local restaurants but Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex.

Speaking of our restaurant partners, we’d like to offer special thanks to our city leaders and Mayor Jeff Williams for their extraordinary efforts to respond to COVID-19 while amplifying kindness throughout our City. The Mayor’s #MealsForAMission campaign, for instance, not only supports local restaurants but Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex.

Mayor Williams announced last week that he would donate $25 (up to $2500) for each photo shared with the City's facebook page of your to-go or delivery orders. It did not take long for orders to come pouring in, quickly meeting the $2,500 cap. In a generous twist of events, former UTA President Jim Spaniolo and his wife Sue, are matching the Mayors efforts, and donating another $25 (up to $2500) for every new order shared.

Participation in #MealsForAMission is easy. Take a photo featuring your most recent to-go or delivery order from any Downtown or city-wide restaurant, then upload it to the comment section of this City of Arlington video. If you’re interested in contributing a matching gift to the campaign, like Arlington residents Jim and Sue Spaniolo, contact Ryan Hunt, City of Arlington Office of Communication.

DOWNTOWN DELIVERS RESULTS

Now in its third week, #DowntownDelivers continues to connect more customers to restaurants and bars in Downtown Arlington that are offering to-go ordering, curbside pick-up, drive-through and/or delivery. Meanwhile, innovative entrepreneurs in Downtown are responding quickly to their customer’s needs. Hurtado Barbecue, Inspirations Catering, The Tipsy Oak, J. Gilligan’s, and many others are offering complete to-go meals that feed an entire family. For date night at home or girls’ night in, Urban Alchemy Coffee + Wine Bar is teaming up with Lindsay’s Art Cart to offer Art+Wine Kits and online live tutorials designed for grown-ups. 

Through #DowntownDelivers, DAMC has been hyper-focusing on sharing content from local businesses in an effort to amplify their creative responses to social distancing restrictions. It’s working. Our most recent #DowntownDelivers social media ad campaign yielded six times the typical number of daily users to our Facebook page and a 142% increase in website traffic. 

For as long as the COVID-19 crisis lasts, DAMC intends to maximize the visibility of our Downtown partners through efforts like #DowntownDelivers. Visit our Downtown Delivers page for details. 

UP NEXT

Soon, we’ll be announcing a video series on business resilience strategies, virtual work environments, and shared solutions for our Downtown BID members and non-profit partners. We are also seeking ways to support those people in our community who are facing the greatest challenges. Watch our COVID-19 information page and social media for details.

As Mayor Williams says, “By staying apart, we stick together.” So stay strong, Arlington. And if you need help, give us a call. Remember, we’re even stronger together.

Sincerely,

Maggie Campbell
President and CEO
Downtown Arlington Management Corporation

P.S. If you see acts of kindness taking place in Downtown, please share the good news with the City of Arlington Community Relations Commission! Tag photos with #ArlingtonKindness and @cityofarlington, email crc@arlingtontx.gov or fill out the online form. For general information, visit the City of Arlington Kindness Initiative website.