Local churches come together to help support local businesses in new movement called Love Local CV

Update: Night of Worship raised $118,000 for small businesses in the Coachella Valley.

Several churches across the Coachella Valley are coming together to raise money for struggling small local businesses.

News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay explains how businesses can get involved in the Love Local CV campaign and how you can help too!

“These businesses have been through so much over the past year, they’re barely hanging on,” Brad Kinney, pastor of advancement at Southwest Church in Indian Wells told News Channel 3.

Kinney came up with the idea behind the Love Local CV campaign.

“We want to really create and bring an awareness right now and at least for the next six months to just shop locally,” Kinney said.

So far, 15 local churches and over 100 local businesses have joined the movement.

“Everything helps because its been such a difficult year," Tina Cunard, the owner of Cunard's Sandbar told News Channel 3. Her business is one of the local businesses participating in Love Local CV. "Not knowing what’s going to happen next so as we move forward and I think things are starting to get a little better so everything helps,” she shared.

It’s not too late for more businesses to join, however, there is criteria in order to participate.

“50 employees or less, they’re locally owned and operated and they can do some type of buyback program like if someone can do a pre-buy or if someone comes to buy numerous amounts of gift cards that they would be able to do that,” director of membership for the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce, Rebecca Rizzo said.

The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce is putting together the directory of participating businesses.

On May 1 at 7 p.m. Southwest Church is hosting a ‘Night of Worship’ bringing together all of the churches, businesses and anyone who wants to come is welcomed to attend the outdoor worship night for free.

You are encouraged to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/praise-and-worship-may-1st-700pm-registration-149205280009

“To pray specifically for small businesses in the Coachella Valley and it’s also a night where we’re going to ask for people to really make a financial distribution,” Kinney said.

All of the money raised will be divided equally among the participating churches to then buy gift cards from the participating businesses. Then, they’ll hand out those gift cards to families and anyone in need in the community.

“Our hope is to really bring everybody up so they can get into a place where they can go ahead and support the business community and give back but we want to make sure that they get to a point where they’re healthy and they feel good so we know that they’re going to be continuing to expand, grow and create jobs. That’s what this is all about," Rizzo said.

On May 16, Love Local Sunday will include events happening on the campuses at each church location that's participating. This is also when the community can find out how much money was raised during the Night of Worship.

If you're interested in learning more about Love Local CV or you're a business in need visit: https://lovelocalcv.com/

To learn more about Cunard's Sandbar restaurant visit: https://www.restaurantji.com/ca/la-quinta/cunards-sandbar-/