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BERRIEN COUNTY — As people continue to social distance, one new initiative is asking residents to come together to help spread hope throughout our community by sharing positive messages on busienss windows. Started Monday, the program will run through June 6.

Three southwest Michigan chiropractors, Dr. Tara Scharich with Fully Alive Chiropractic, Dr. Sandy Martin with All Star Family Chiropractic and Dr. Katie Stull with The Natural Health Improvement Center, have created Windows of Hope Southwest Michigan to build local business recognition and help our community come together while residents spending time apart. Residents will be encouraged to do a virtual scavenger hunt and find as many inspiring windows as they can from June 1-6.  They will take a photo in front of each Window of Hope and check into that business on Facebook, using #windowsofhopeswmi to be entered to win a gift card from the businesses they discover.

Celebrity judges will choose the best Window of Hope in Southwest Michigan to win a prize, according to organizers.

Organizers said businesses would benefit from the program by getting business recognition and building community.

How to register a business:

Step 1: Register a business by joining the Facebook group Windows of Hope SWMI.

Step 2: Decorate the windows of the business with inspiring messages.

Step 3: Post a picture of the decorated window on the Facebook group page, Windows of Hope SWMI.

Step 4 (Optional): Pledge one to five gift cards from the business or another local business to use towards a raffle prize for participating community members.

Step 5: June 1-6, community members will be invited to drive around and interact with all participating businesses. When they post a picture of a window with the #windowsofhopeswmi they will be entered into a drawing to win the business’ optional raffle prize.

Step 6:  If a business chooses to have a raffle prize, organizers will do the drawing for, give the business owner the name of the winner, and the winner are responsible for coming to the business to pick It up.