I don't know about you (and I don't consider myself materialistic) but I love STUFF!  I love the wonderful smells and fresh flavors at the local bakeries and market. I love the unique trinkets and jewelry at some of the local shops in our town. Does beauty time at the salon count as stuff?  I also love the smiles, friendly chatter and name recognition I get from the folks at smaller stores...ahhh...I'm a sucker for good SERVICE too! There's something's so different about the quality and experience at local independent shops. It's like Grandma's cookies; love is baked in, and boy, are they better!   

Getting to my point....2009 may have turned out to be a year that many folks want to forget. Bad economy, lost jobs, bail outs, foreclosures - Ughh, the words just turn my stomach. Many of us personally had to cut back on our "stuff" just to get by - and we've seen a lot of fellow businesses "go out" because of this...the effects of which reach deeper into the community as more jobs, services and revenue are lost. With all this bad news, are there any good stories to be heard? Is there anything we can do to help save our stuff? Will anyone really care if you make an effort to help?  My answer is YES, YES, and YES!

 
Your heart will enjoy OUR OWN encouraging story, you'll feel appreciated, as well as empowered having learned about a cause that I believe we can all benefit from! 

...We want to THANK our beloved Customers, the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce (EMACC), Red Bank RiverCenter, good friends and the big guy upstairs for the BEST year Queen Vacuum has ever had! It's truly amazing and we are so very, very grateful and humbled.  We plan to continue on this positive path, and ask for your continued guidance and feedback in the future! Please don't forget..."We've been RIGHT here all along" and we plan to keep it that way!

Sincerely wishing you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!

- Rachel & John