As we enter the season of giving, many of us feel pressure to buy gifts—often items that end up unused, forgotten, or simply adding to the holiday clutter. This year, we invite you to consider a more meaningful alternative.Instead of spending twenty-five dollars on a token gift for friends, family, or business associates, imagine redirecting that same amount to a local charity or community organization doing essential work. That small contribution can help feed a family, support a youth program, provide winter clothing, or assist neighbors facing hardship.A modest donation in someone’s honor is a powerful statement:
We care about our community. We care about one another.
At a time when many organizations are stretched thin, your kindness becomes more than a gift—it becomes an investment in the health, resilience, and spirit of our community.
How You Can Participate
Choose a charity or community group aligned with your values.Make a $25 donation in honor of a friend, colleague, or loved one.Send them a note letting them know the impact made in their name. This simple shift in perspective transforms holiday giving from routine to purposeful.
Together, we can uplift our neighbors and create a season of generosity that truly lasts.
Food, Basic Needs & Emergency Support
FeedMore WNY – Regional food bank & Meals on Wheels, fighting hunger across Western New York.
Friends of Night People – Provides food, clothing, medical care, and support to people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Buffalo.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Buffalo – Offers food, clothing, housewares, and outreach to neighbors in need.
Catholic Charities of Buffalo / WNY – Wide range of services including food, counseling, refugee support, and family services.
Health, Equity & Community Well-Being
Buffalo Center for Health Equity (BCHE) – Works to eliminate race, economic, and geography-based health inequities in WNY.
Jericho Road Community Health Center – Provides medical care and wrap-around support, especially for refugees, asylum seekers, and low-income families in Buffalo.
The Buffalo United Resiliency Center (BURC) – Supports individuals and families impacted by the May 14, 2022 Tops mass shooting and ongoing trauma in the East Buffalo community.
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo – A regional philanthropic hub that channels donations to racial equity, environment, arts, education, and more across WNY.
United Way of Buffalo & Erie County – Funds programs in education, financial stability, and health for Erie County residents.Immigrant, Refugee, & Migrant Support
Journey’s End Refugee Services – Refugee resettlement and legal/social services for refugees and low-income immigrants in Buffalo.
International Institute of Buffalo (IIB) – Welcomes and supports immigrants and refugees through resettlement, anti-trafficking, interpretation, and employment services.
The Refugee Partnership of Western New York – Collaborative crisis-response fund supporting several refugee-serving agencies Housing, Climate & Justice.
PUSH Buffalo (People United for Sustainable Housing) – Organizes around affordable housing, green jobs, and climate & economic justice in Buffalo’s West Side and beyond.Families, Children & Care
Ronald McDonald House Charities of WNY – Provides lodging and support to families with hospitalized children in the Buffalo area.
BUY LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS — SUPPORT THE HEART OF WNY
A Community Partnerships Newsletter Feature
Empowering community. Strengthening local economy. Celebrating the people who make Western New York home.
A SEASON OF GIVING WITH PURPOSE
This holiday season, we encourage everyone across Western New York to shop with intention and invest in the small businesses that give our neighborhoods their character, creativity, and soul.
When we choose to buy local, we’re doing far more than checking someone off our gift list — we’re nurturing the heartbeat of our community. Every local purchase strengthens a family, supports a dream, and helps sustain the vibrant, diverse culture we all care about.
Buying local means:
Building community wealth — Dollars stay here, supporting local jobs and local families.
Protecting our neighborhoods — Small businesses bring safety, beauty, and life to our commercial corridors.
Honoring community partnerships — These businesses sponsor events, uplift youth, donate to nonprofits, and embody service.
Preserving the creative identity of WNY — From boutiques to bookshops to artisan markets, our region is rich with makers and storytellers.
Even shifting 25% of your holiday spending to locally owned businesses creates measurable change.
Let’s give gifts that matter — gifts that strengthen the place we all call home.
2025 WNY BUY LOCAL HOLIDAY DIRECTORY
Below is a curated list of Western New York small businesses offering gifts, fashion, books, artisanal goods, and experiences for all ages. Please share widely with your networks, neighbors, and community partners.
CLOTHING • STYLE • LOCAL BOUTIQUES
Support local stylists, curators, and fashion entrepreneurs.
Half & Half Boutique – Elmwood Village, Buffalo
Peace & Co. Boutique – Broadway, Buffalo
Anna Grace – Elmwood Village, Buffalo
Turnstyle Designs – Ashland Ave, Buffalo
Allen Street Dress Shop – East Aurora
Second Chic – Elmwood Village & Williamsville (consignment)
Her Story Boutique – Hertel Avenue, Buffalo
Blush Buffalo – Williamsville & Orchard Park
Sunshine & Bluebirds – 798 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo (clothing, accessories)
Ms. Eye Candy Boutique – 85 Allen St, Buffalo (bold statement fashion)
Molly + Kate – Main St, Hamburg (upscale lifestyle boutique)
Grayhart Boutique – Main St, Hamburg (women’s + kids + gifts)
Feisty Shamrock Boutique – Buffalo St, Hamburg (trendy women’s clothing)
O’Connell’s Clothing Main Street University Heights Buffalo
GIFTS • ARTISANS • LOCAL MARKETS
Handmade, heartfelt, and locally created treasures.
Rustic Buffalo Artisan Market – NT & East Aurora
Thin Ice Gift Shop – Elmwood Village
Buffalo Gift Emporium – Tonawanda & Williamsville
Dragonfly Art & Soul – Clarence
Global Villages – Grant Street, Buffalo
Cone Five Gallery – Hertel Ave
Broadway Market – Buffalo (multiple small vendors)
Paradise Wine – Rhode Island St, Buffalo
Buffalo Distilling Company – Larkinville
Badding Bros Farm Market – East Amherst
Savilles Country Florist – Orchard Park
Rustique by Ashley – Buffalo St, Hamburg (home décor, gifts)
Allen Street Hardware Café – Allentown (gift cards / experiences)
Clayton’s Toys – Williamsville (local toy institution)
Campus WheelWorks – 1330 Niagara St, Buffalo (bike shop)
INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES
Books remain one of the most powerful, personal gifts we can share. Support the stores that support democracy, literacy, and local culture.
Actual Books – Kenmore
Afterglow Books – Buffalo
Alice, Ever After Books – Parkside
Black Rock Books – Niagara St, Buffalo
Burning Books – Connecticut St, Buffalo
Dog Ears Bookstore & Café – South Buffalo
Fitz Books & Waffles – Main St, Buffalo
Gutter Pop Comics – Hertel Ave
Rust Belt Books – Grant St, Buffalo
Talking Leaves – Elmwood Village
The Bookworm – East Aurora
The Velvet Bookmark – City of Tonawanda
Lock City Books – Lockport
Book Corner – Niagara Falls
HOW TO “BUY LOCAL” WITH IMPACT
Give gift cards to local restaurants, cafés, theaters, salons, fitness studios, museums, and galleries.
Choose handmade whenever possible — jewelry, pottery, textiles, candles, soaps, artwork.
Support local food makers — coffee roasters, chocolatiers, distillers, bakeries, farms.
Purchase from local authors and printers — a personalized, meaningful gift.
Offer a donation in someone’s name to a WNY nonprofit to honor the true spirit of generosity. Small shifts create big change.
A HOLIDAY MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY
This season of light reminds us that our greatest strength is each other. By supporting local businesses, we uplift our neighbors, protect our regional identity, and invest in a more connected, equitable, and thriving Western New York.
Buy with heart.
Give with intention.
Support the places that support our community.
In community,
League of Women Voters Buffalo Niagara
Community Partnerships Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion |
