CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Local organizations created an initiative to help local businesses struggling financially after Tropical Storm Alberto and Hurricane Beryl.
Mayor Paulette Guajardo proclaimed July 9 to July 19 as the CC Me Impact Week, a week designed to encourage the community to support local shops and restaurants in Corpus Christi, all across the city.
Since 2019, Nueces Brewing Company has called downtown Corpus Christi home. Co-owner Cale Moore said his restaurant and other businesses have taken a hit with the recent storms.
"This probably is one of the worst summers we've had, honestly," Moore said. "We've had some good weeks but as a whole it doesn't take much, and this week was bad."
He said the summer season is essential to many restaurants and bars success throughout the year.
"Most of these restaurants and bars, we rely on the summer to go ahead and pack away that cash to get through the slow season, so that we can get these projects down, you know we need to get down and prepare for the next summer," Moore said. "Without a really good summer it's going to be a really bad winter."
The CC Me Impact Week initiative is a collaborative effort by Visit Corpus Christi, the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Guajardo.
"Anything we can do to support local small businesses because they're the heart of our community," Guajardo said.
President/CEO of Visit Corpus Christi Brett Oetting said part of the initiative will include a photo contest with a giveaway drawing. Locals can take a picture while they dine, shop and play at Corpus Christi Businesses.
"This is a way of us supporting those small businesses by challenging the community to go out and have an extra lunch, go out and do some shopping at a local restaurant and experience our attractions," Oetting said. "And we're going to give some gift cards to some who do it."
Moore is unsure if businesses will get another surge of customers this summer, but he hopes this initiative will help them get back what they've lost so far.
"It's much appreciated," he said. "We're really glad everybody is putting in some effort and they realize everybody is hurting down here."
"This is just a way of showing we're one community and we're all working together," Oetting said. "And we want to get out and support each other."
The photo contest drawing will be Friday, July 19 at 2 p.m. Three winners will receive $125 gift cards to a Corpus Christi business of their choosing. For more information about the contest click here.