Get Your Tix Now for Galentine’s Wine & Chocolate Tour

Celebrate Valentine's Day a little early with JP Centre/South Main Streets' Galentine’s Wine & Chocolate Tour on Feb. 9. The event is back after a 2-year hiatus, and will be evening of wine and chocolate, combined with self-love and lots of shopping. Attendees will receive red feather boas and a customized map, which leads them to some of JP's finest shops in the JP Centre/South Main Streets district. Each shop will feature a different type of chocolate and wine to sample.

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November is the New December: Shop Local During Plaid Weekend

Support our Jamaica Plain businesses by shopping local and getting lots of deal during Plaid Days and Plaid Weekend this Saturday and Sunday. JP Local First and JP Centre/South Main Streets has joined the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) to launch their Shop Indie Local holiday campaign, urging individuals and businesses to shift their holiday spending to locally owned and independent businesses. As part of the Shop Indie Local festivities, JP Local First and JP Centre/South Main Streets are promoting “November is the new December,” and this weekend's Plaid Weekend. There will be a variety of events planned to recognize customer appreciation, great deals, and charity giving that includes some businesses donating a percentage of sales to Spontaneous Celebrations. It's important to support our local independent businesses that keeps money locally by supporting local jobs, taxes, and other community-building investments.

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Trivia Challenge! Can You Defeat the Whiz of JP Facts?

How good are you at Jamaica Plain trivia? Good enough to beat the assumed JP trivia champ? Sign up for the virtual Jamaica Plain Trivia Battle Royale on Nov. 12, and you'll see how much trivia you know. The evening will be full of facts, celebrity clues, historical info, and commercials from JP's local businesses.

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Poll: When Will You Feel Comfortable Returning to Jamaica Plain Stores and Restaurants?

Like the rest of the country, the Coronavirus has wreaked havoc on Jamaica Plain's stores and restaurants. As the state slowly loosens restrictions, it's important for us to feel comfortable to go back to our favorite stores and restaurants. As the months have gone on businesses have altered the way they operate. Have they worked? Have contactless payments eased your mind?

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$7,800+ Raised for JP Main Streets Relief Fund; Applications Now Live

The Jamaica Plain Main Streets Relief Fund will distribute $500 grants to Jamaica Plain residents, or employees of neighborhood businesses. Applications are now open for the fund. Applications went live on Monday and priority will be given to applicants who are unable to receive or ineligible for other forms of public assistance. "We would like to place people of color, all genders, people without papers, people formerly incarcerated, and those facing housing instability at the front of the line for support," said an email sent out by JP Centre/South Main Streets. The total number of grants to be given out in the first round, or any successive rounds, depends on the success of the fundraising campaign.

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Jamaica Plain Residents: We Need Your Help to Support Local Businesses

JP Centre/South Main Streets (JPCSMS) is a volunteer-led non-profit that works to strengthen the JP Centre/South business district as a vibrant center of community life. Right now, we are confronting the economic realities of the COVID-19 crisis, and suddenly finding ourselves in the position to lead our community in economic recovery efforts. Dozens of volunteers have already reached out to discuss how to best support our local businesses. Please read below to learn how you can contribute to ongoing recovery efforts. JPCSMS has identified three projects for immediate and long term impact.

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Jamaica Plain Restaurants & Bizs: Which Are Open and Closed

As we've all seen, everything is changing very quickly. Right now restaurants may provide delivery or takeout food. Businesses are allowed to choose to open. Here is the full list of more than 200 businesses open in some capacity, which was amazingly compiled by Jamaica Plain Centre South Main Streets. The list is being updated regularly, provides whether restaurants are offering takeout and/or delivery, and gift certificates via phone.

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For Employers: Reverse Job Fair for Jamaica Plain Food Bizs on March 19

Boston area food establishments are short on staff and employees. But a new tactic, a reverse job fair being hosted by JP Centre/South Main Streets and Community Servings, is aiming to alleviate the employee shortage. At the reverse job fair employers visit tables while prospective employees are at the tables with their credentials, examples of their training, and have the opportunity to talk to possible employers. All prospective employees are graduates of the Community Servings' Job Training Program, a 12-week job training program designed for people interested in food service careers, but faced barriers to employments such as reentry, recovery, mental health, and homelessness. Click here to learn more about the job training program.

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What Do You Think Is Most Important to Centre/South Street Redesign?

Businesses are being asked to offer their opinions on what they'd want to see if Centre/South Street were redesigned. The Boston Cyclists Union and JP Centre/South Main Streets are conducting a survey of businesses in the district, and will be sharing the survey's results with the Boston Transportation Department. The city's plans for the Centre/South redesign are on hold, but are expected to restart soon, according to the JPCSMS newsletter. It is part of the already completed redesign of Jackson Square and Hyde Square. The city has allocated more than $700,000 for the design alone, which would go from Hyde Square down Centre and South streets to the Arborway, said Ginger Brown, director of JPCSMS.

The survey asks business owners to rank seven options on what they feel is most important in a redesign: increased pedestrian/sidewalk space; improved bike infrastructure and bike parking; improved bus service; improved streetscape (like benches, lighting, greenery, public art); better signage for the business district; and increased parking for cars.

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JP Centre/South Main Streets Needs Board Members; Want to Address Coming Chase Bank

Board members are needed for Jamaica Plain Centre/South Main Streets and one of the board's initiatives will be addressing the coming Chase Bank. Board members are volunteer positions and provide a great opportunity to get involved with Jamaica Plain's central commercial district. "We recently learned that JP Morgan Chase will be opening a branch in the district. We have heard from residents that they would like to get more involved with addressing this new addition. This work will be part of our Economic Vitality committee and we need your involvement!"

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