CORNWALL, Ontario – More than a dozen downtown businesses are joining forces to help a local women’s shelter in the name of motherhood.

The first annual #momstheword campaign officially kicked off Monday, May 1 at a media event at Pommier Square. #momstheword will take place Thursday, May 11 in downtown Cornwall. On that day participating businesses will be offering special promotions, special services donating proceeds of sales, making blanket donations, selling tickets for gift baskets and other initiatives to draw shoppers downtown and collect funds for Maison Baldwin House.
“We’re trying to organize events throughout the year downtown to draw shoppers to our small businesses, while also helping out worthy local charities and agencies,” said Todd Lihou, Centretown Coordinator for Heart of the City. “We felt this was a natural fit, with Mother’s Day just around the corner.”
The list of participating businesses downtown includes (check our event page for an updated list):

• Life’s Little Pleasures
• Mindful Cookery
• Laser Advance Spa
• Pommier Jewellers
• Gordon Jewellers
• OBO Studios
• Schnitzel’s European Flavours
• Dreamland
• Kid’s Corner
• Echo Trends
• Cottage Blue Home
• Squire Shop
• Fantasy Realm
• Cailuan Gallery
• Truffles

A Facebook event page has been created that will provide updates, in real time, of the different initiatives each business has in mind to help benefit Maison Baldwin House.
“We wanted each business to feel a part of #momstheword, so we left it up to them to decide how they wished to participate,” said Lihou. “Some businesses really jumped in with both feet – collecting materials for gift basket and offering up special events, like painting sessions at some of our great downtown art studios.”
Danielle MacNeil, public educator/volunteer coordinator at Maison Baldwin House, said the downtown initiative speaks to the caring nature of Cornwall and its small business community.
“We will be setting up a tent at Pommier Square on May 11 to meet with members of the public and hand out literature concerning Maison Baldwin House and the work we do,” she said. “We’re so appreciative of the hard work and generosity of downtown business owners who are doing this on our behalf.”