Michigan Facebook Group Explodes From 9 to 177,000 Members, Keeps Local Businesses Alive

A small online group called "Downriver and Friends" started with just nine people in 2013. Now it counts 177,000 members. Their work keeps Michigan shops open and builds stronger ties in the Downriver area.

The group started small, pushing back against closed shops and empty buildings. "In 2013, in Downriver, there were a lot of vacant buildings, mom and pop shops were going away and we really wanted to keep that Downriver feel," said Jennifer Guest, who helps run the group, according to WXYZ.

In 2018, the group proved its worth. They stepped in when Jim's Butcher Shop on Telegraph nearly shut down. This family shop, running since 1974, struggled after a big Meijer store opened nearby.

"It was right after Meijer had opened, and we just experienced a lot of decline in business. My dad and all of us did everything we could to keep the doors open but it was just not going to happen," said Stacy Latimer, who runs Jim's Butcher Shop.

Then came the turning point. A customer wrote about saving the shop. The message spread fast through the group. People rushed in to buy meat. "You know how social media goes, this person shares it and this person shares it and this person shares it," Latimer said. "It's the reason we're here right now."

The group does more than save shops. They rush to help when bad things happen. "We've seen where there's someone's house has burned down, and we have members the next day, and they have a whole new house furnished and they don't even have a house yet," Guest said.

Yet small shops still face tough odds. "It's not easy to keep a small business running and especially for over 50 years," Latimer points out.

Guest thinks other towns should copy their success. "It's kind of what we envision for the world. We want everyone to support each other and know you have your neighborhood behind you," she said. "Just to know that I had this much to do with it, it just fills me with joy."