Heroes Among Us: Print Shop Promotion Benefits Small Businesses

MAPLE LAKE -- Adjusting to the new normal created by the novel coronavirus is not easy, but it would be much harder without good people helping one another every day.

Jason Stensland, owner of print shop A-Plus Performance in Maple Lake, is using his talents and tools to help raise funds for other small businesses.

Stensland has started printing t-shirts emblazoned with #HEREFORGOODMN, representing the belief that Minnesota's small business community is "here for good" and will outlast the temporary shutdown. Each shirt will retail for $20, with $10 of that sale given to any small business the customer chooses.

Stensland, inspired by the work of a fellow printer in Tennessee, moved quickly to get Here For Good Minnesota off the ground.

"(The printer in Tennessee) invited other printers to kind of snowball off his idea," Stensland explained. "We've been slow but steady, and I thought about it and said, 'we can do this.' I put everything together Friday and Saturday, and we went live on Saturday afternoon."

The shirts bear the #HEREFORGOODMN slogan, along with the outline of Minnesota and the statement "Helping keep small businesses here for good." Stensland, who typically prints apparel, signs and other materials for other small, local businesses, has witnessed the economic hardship the COVID-19 pandemic has created.

"This isn't going to give them their full paycheck, but it will help little by little, person by person, ten dollar bill by ten dollar bill," Stensland. "It's one way to help them keep going through this trying time."

Customers can choose any business to receive $10 from their purchase - even their own, Stensland says.

Businesses must be nominated by customers in order to participate; to nominate a business, visit this link.

To learn more and see designs, visit Here For Good Minnesota's Facebook page and website.

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