As we face unique and uncertain times, one thing remains clear: many small businesses in our local communities need our support now more than ever. Rockland Trust asked on social media for nominations for local small businesses that are making an impact in the communities they serve. Each Monday in May, Rockland Trust randomly selected one deserving small business to receive $1,500*.
We want to highlight the winning businesses, who are each giving back to the community in their own unique way. Our May 18 winner is Arax Market in Watertown.
About Arax Market
In 1974, Arax Market owner Betty Bassmajian’s parents decided to open the local market in Watertown, home of the largest Armenian community in Massachusetts.
“My parents wanted to bring a little bit of home to those who had also immigrated here,” said Betty. “They worked seven days a week to create a better life for me and my brothers.”
Through their hard work and dedication, Arax Market became a staple in the neighborhood. Over the years, Betty’s family built the business’s foundation by providing quality products at fair prices and treating the community as extended members of the family.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Betty and her family asked themselves how they could help their community overcome the challenges it now faced. The family decided to focus on helping the older adult population within their community through services like delivery, curbside pick up, and even increasing production of homemade meals to remove one less worry from their customers’ days.
“Many nights after working fifteen to eighteen hour shifts, I would see my brother packing groceries to personally deliver to our elderly neighbors,” said Betty. “When the pandemic began, customers would come into the store and bring us masks, hand sanitizer, etc to make sure that we were protected. When they saw us working long hours, they would make food and bring it to us. The community is the backbone of our business and we are proud to be here for them.”
Betty described seeing tears of gratitude in the eyes of customers when they saw how Arax Market was stocked with food like fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and grains. “The fear that people felt about the possibility of not being able to feed their families was something we saw for weeks, but we did our best to ease their worry. I am proud of my community that comes together in times of crisis. Together we are stronger than apart,” Betty explained.
Those who are interested in learning more about Arax Market can do so on Facebook and Instagram.
Article You May be Interested In: Six Ways to Support Our Local Business Community During This Time
Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies and Rockland Trust is proud to support them. We have enjoyed learning about your favorite community-based businesses and encourage you to continue sharing the reasons why you love them so much on your personal social media channels.
Learn More about our April Support Small Businesses Winners Here
*No purchase necessary; participants need not be customers of Rockland Trust. Void where prohibited by law. Entries accepted 5/1/20 - 5/25/20. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries. Owners or employees may not nominate their own business. Individual business owners must be 18+. Taxes sole responsibility of winner. Total prize value: $6,000. Additional restrictions apply.
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