“Town Crier” newsletter – Briefs from the Region (2) – 4/7/20
With the forced closure—save takeout options—of restaurants, bars, coffee shops and other service industry joints, such as fishing guides or hairdressers, per the March 26 directive from Gov. Bullock, thousands across the state are suddenly without work or the tips that supplemented their hourly incomes. Now, you can tip them through virtual avenues, thanks to MontanaTipJar.org, a Bozeman-organized list of names, businesses and Venmo handles of service workers across the state. For those not as familiar with modern advances in virtual payment methods, Venmo is a free, secure money transfer app that can be connected to a bank account or Venmo wallet or card. According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, service workers can also apply to be added to the list, which populates random names at the top of the list should Good Samaritans that don’t recognize names or businesses want to donate to Montanans in need. “The more people we can get on there, the better it’ll be,” Martin Coleman, one of the tip jar’s organizers, told the Chronicle. “We want people to sign up, but we also want people in the community to search and find their favorite server or restaurant or bar or guide service or gym or fitness club, and tip them.” None of the tips will go to the organizers.
