The nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA) is thrilled to celebrate its 30th anniversary this holiday season with the fundraiser, RP Together, beginning November 1 through Giving Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Joining the celebration is the return of the annual Live Love Shop Rogers Park holiday shopping rebate program, kicking off on Small Business Saturday, November 25 lasting through December 2023. The funds raised as well as sales incentivized via the rebate program help create a strong small business community in Rogers Park, one of the most culturally diverse communities in Chicago. To make a donation or learn more about the rebate program, visit RPBA.org.
“Over the past 30 years, RPBA has implemented many initiatives that are now integral parts of Rogers Park’s identity: the creation of four Special Service Areas to improve public way aesthetics and foster business growth, the now iconic Mile of Murals public art series, and the development of the commercial corridor plans for Clark, Devon, Howard, Morse, and Sheridan. We have contributed to building our community by supporting or producing neighborhood events, such as the Glenwood Sunday Market farmers market, Chalk Howard Street festival, and Taco Crawl. As a delegate agency with the City of Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection for over 20 years, RPBA has also been a key force in providing no-cost small business assistance. We offer various entrepreneurial training programs, including the bilingual GROW/PROGRESANDO program, Illinois Small Business Development Center at RPBA, Business Accessibility Toolkit, and various shop-local campaigns such as Live Love Shop Rogers Park,” says Sandi Price, Executive Director of Rogers Park Business Alliance, “With the money raised from RP Together, we are aiming to push forward the implementation of the Elevate Devon commercial corridor plan announced earlier this year, and work towards purchasing a building to host our entrepreneurial trainings that would include a shared kitchen for participants, since the goal for many of them is to open their own restaurants. Everyone can support small businesses and our community by donating to RP Together, and shopping through Live Love Shop Rogers Park!”
RPBA is proud to celebrate 30 years of strengthening business and building community, cultivating and sustaining a thriving economic environment in Rogers Park—the community area that most closely resembles the racial make-up of all of Chicago, according to 2020 census data—serving its businesses and residents. In November, Rogers Park Business Alliance aims to raise $30,000 in honor of the 30th anniversary with all proceeds benefiting its efforts to continue the support for Rogers Park businesses, residents, and community, including small business assistance, free entrepreneurial training programs, commercial corridor vision plans, beautification and placemaking initiatives, public art projects, shop local campaigns, farmers markets, community events and festivals, and more. To make a donation, go to rpba.org/donate.
Photos (l-r): Picnic Wine & Provisions, Small Business Saturday 2022, R Public House, courtesy of Rogers Park Business Alliance.
Holiday themed 3D photo wall created by Nate Baranowski in 2020, courtesy of Rogers Park Business Alliance.
Live Love Shop Rogers Park is a shop-local campaign that helps support small businesses against competition from big-box stores throughout the vital holiday shopping season, by rewarding patrons with up to $75 in rebates. In the 2022 Live Love Shop Rogers Park campaign, over $42,580 was spent with $29,104 staying in the Rogers Park community, via more than 735 transactions recorded at 143 independently owned businesses within Rogers Park.
This year, a Live Love Shop Rogers Park holiday kickoff will begin at a Welcome Station hosted at Devon Market (1440 W. Devon Avenue) on Small Business Saturday, November 25 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., featuring carolers that will fill the air with holiday tunes while free beverages and pastries will be served. Deals and specials from dozens of Rogers Park independent businesses will be announced leading up to Small Business Saturday. For updates, visit rpba.org/live-love-shop.
To qualify for the rebates, shoppers will need to patronize independently owned businesses in Rogers Park during the holiday season. From November 25 through December 31, customers who shop at such stores are eligible for a rebate based on the total amount spent. Those who collect $150 or more in receipts will receive a $50 rebate, and those with receipts totaling $200 or more will receive a $75 rebate. A completed rebate form and original receipts (hard copy or digital) from Rogers Park businesses only, dated between November 25 and December 31, 2023; no gift receipts allowed) must be turned in to RPBA by Friday, January 5, 2024, by 4 p.m. Shoppers can download the PDF form, fill out the form and submit the receipt on RPBA’s website, or pick up a hardcopy from RPBA’s office (1448 W. Morse Ave.) on Mondays to Thursdays between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Fridays until 4 p.m., and mail the completed form along with the receipts to RPBA. For more information and detailed rebate rules, visit rpba.org/live-love-shop. RPBA is an official 2023 Neighborhood Champion and Shop Small Ambassador.
Rogers Park Business Alliance is a nonprofit organization that has served Chicago’s diverse Rogers Park neighborhood for 30 years. RPBA works to cultivate and sustain a thriving economic environment in Rogers Park, serving businesses and residents with a variety of public events and business initiatives. RPBA programs include the GROW/PROGRESANDO entrepreneurial training program, the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Rogers Park Business Alliance, annual Best of Rogers Park awards, Chalk Howard Street Festival, Taco Crawl, and the Glenwood Sunday Market farmers market. For more information, visit RPBA.org.