By Colleen Jones
The St. Augustine Record, Fla.
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Two entrepreneurs who were sitting at home, sheltering in place, have come up with a creative way to boost community morale and support local businesses all from a safe distance.
St. Augustine
Two young people have partnered to produce and deliver care packages filled with locally sourced products to surprise friends and family with at this challenging time.
St. Augustine natives Sky Dauth and Alex Mowrey both found that they had some extra time each day after completing online schooling. Dauth is a senior at George Washington University; Mowrey is a senior at St. Augustine High School.
The couple came up with the idea as a way to both support local businesses and connect the community during the quarantine.
The project launched just last week.
“It came together really quickly,” said Mowrey.
Dauth and Mowrey began talking to local businesses to see if they wanted to have their product line featured in the customized “STAy Sane” boxes they were creating.
They then began collecting inventory from various hard-hit vendors such as St. Augustine Distillery, Coffee Growers Alliance, Luli’s Cupcakes, Juniper Market and Minorcan Mike’s Datil Pepper Sauce.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” said Mowrey.
The boxes are based around different themes (Basic Survival Kit, Island in a Box, Easter, etc.) and are priced between $30 and $50. Many vendors have cut the couple good rates as a chance to promote their business during the economic shutdown.
Mowrey and Dauth fill the packages in a makeshift garage setup and take care to wear gloves and masks when making home deliveries (they currently only accept addresses within St. Johns County).
Many of the customers they’ve served have found them on social media and are looking to do something special for a loved one, such as an elderly shut-in.
buy cymbalta online gilbertroaddental.com/wp-content/themes/twentyseventeen/inc/en/cymbalta.html no prescription
“It’s a fun way to remind the people you love that you’re thinking about without taking a risk [against social distancing],” Mowrey said.
Dauth, 20, who is majoring in international business, has launched entrepreneurial projects before. Calling herself the “creative mind” of the team, Mowrey focuses more on the packaging and marketing end of the venture.
So far, STAy Sane boxes have filled more than half a dozen orders and have more in the works.
The couple is hoping the launch could lend to other opportunities to branch out in the future.
“The response has been really great,” said Dauth.
For more information about STAy Sane boxes or to place on order, visit the website at: www.staysanebox.com.
___
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
