Local launch events for the 10% Shift were held in communities throughout New England during the "March to Shift" series of press conferences and gatherings.  Launches occurred in four New England states in the following communities Worcester, Somerville, Sandwich, and Fitchburg,  Massachusetts; Portsmouth and Laconia, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; and Newport County, Rhode Island.  Mayors and Town Managers from their respective communities attended to show their support, and representatives of several media outlets shared this important story with millions of New Englanders.

The Worcester and Portsmouth events were particularly exciting.  In Worcester, a formal press conference was held at City Hall with eloquent speeches given by the City Manager, the Mayor, and US Congressman Jim McGovern.  In Portsmouth, Seacoast Local featured local business leaders in a skit that demonstrated how the Local Multiplier works.

10% Shift leaders are now in discussions with the City of Boston to organize a launch of the 10% Shift in Boston during the week of Independence Day.  We'll be sending out announcements as soon as details are confirmed. 

As of this writing, over 300 individuals and businesses from around New England have signed a pledge to make a 10% Shift of their current budget to local purchases. The purpose of the 10% Shift is to move beyond awareness of the importance of shopping local, and toward actual, consistent behavior change. You can sign the pledge to Make the Shift on the website: 10PercentShift.org. On this dynamic website, you can learn why it is important to Make the Shift, and you can use the personal local calculator to show how you can effectively Make the Shift and help to build strong local economies.

See also:

The Declaration of Local Independents and the 10% Shift

More Information on Local First groups