By JACLYN WOZNICKI | Moonshine Ink
This small mountain town community is amazing. Right now, we are all in quarantine while the world tries to make sense of a pandemic, and we are feeling isolated and detached. What hasn’t changed, is the small-town mentality that tells us to take care of each other. When something challenging or tragic happens to one of us, we show up and we help. We do it over and over again. And this time, we all need each other.
My shop Trunk Show is located in The Cobblestone Center and is frequented by both locals and visitors. The shop brings culture, beauty, and joy to the people that come in. It gives me and other local artists a place to share our creations with the world while generating an income to support our families. No, I’m never going to get rich making jewelry and selling local art, but it provides a means of putting a roof over my head and food on my family’s table. The shop employs people that need a flexible schedule and a workplace that appreciates them for their unique abilities and contributions. Our clients have become our friends and our crew is a family.
Mine is just one example of the locally owned small businesses that contribute to making the Tahoe/Truckee area a uniquely special place to live and visit. We are all in a situation where we need the support of our community. I suggest that you follow your favorite businesses’ social media pages to see what they are offering in place of in-store shopping. Many of us are creating products and shipping from home. Purchasing gift certificates puts money in our businesses’ bank accounts, allowing us to pay our employees, rent, and utilities, ensuring that we will be able to reopen when the world has recovered.
My husband and I have been in quarantine since January as I’ve just undergone an intense medical procedure to halt my progression of multiple sclerosis. HSCT involves chemotherapy and stem cell transplant and is not covered by insurance. Instead of being on the donating side of things, I have been the one in need. Without the support that I received, I would not have been able to receive treatment. Local people and businesses donated incredible prizes for my fundraisers! So many people donated to a GoFundMe page to help me get well. Moonshine Ink published a beautiful article about my journey. Fat Cat Bar & Grill, Blue Agave, Alibi Ale Works, and The Great Bingo Revival all hosted fundraising events for me. Lanza’s, Reiki Tahoe, and friends sold raffle tickets on my behalf. And how about that Facebook and Instagram love? I sure soaked in all of those ‘atta girls’! This pandemic came at a time where my business had exhausted its savings. I’ve been at home creating jewelry and my husband has been screen-printing T-shirts, and like so many other artists, we are selling through my Facebook and Instagram pages. This and my GoFundMe campaign are keeping us and Trunk Show afloat.
So what I want to say is thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to my Tahoe/Truckee Tribe. You all have taught me what it means to be part of a community and I am so lucky to be a part of yours. If you are starting to get cabin fever, we know how you feel. Take it from us … meditate, exercise, eat healthy, get crafty, read, take a bath, go outside (away from other people!), clean your house, listen to music, learn something new, shop local, and above all, be kind to each other. It really does get easier. We’re all in this together and if we keep our heads up and ourselves at home, everything is going to be ok.
Be well, friends!
~ Jaclyn Woznicki, Trunk Show owner/Bella Petunia Jewelry designer/art fanatic tahoetrunkshow.com – @tahoetrunkshow – gofundme.com/f/hsct4jaclyn
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