March 12: The Storybook Shoppe in Bluffton, SC
Community Partnerships
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The Storybook Shoppe, a children's bookstore, excels at community partnerships that support the store's and their community partners' missions in unique ways. One example is their Local Heroes Storytime in the courtyard with police and fire departments. Attendees will hear how Storybook Shoppe connects with partners to build relationships to create community support for the store, which has been evident during the store's work on youth advocacy, fights against book bans, and an unexpected relocation in 2024.

Store owner Sally Sue Lavigne's philosophy is that creating community events and partnerships doesn't need to be high stress or require a huge financial investment. "Sometimes," she says, "the payoff for a crazy idea can lead to vast support. For us it was just a few crazy ideas and the right people to believe in them." She believes that doing business in a community requires you to actively participate in the community. "When we purchased the shop, I stated if we were going to do business here we were going to be part of the community and give back. I want to share the fun ways we have created events and added value to our community."