When it comes to small businesses, there’s often a push for people to buy local and support those within their communities.

That’s a message that Tammy McKenna and members of the women’s group in Nativity Parish, Fair Haven, not only embraced a few years ago, but also inspired her to take one step further in the form of evangelization. Her efforts resulted in developing a Networking Showcase in the parish, which is an event that allows parishioners who own their own businesses to come together where they can get to know each other, promote their businesses and support each other.

With the first Networking Showcase held last year and the second coming up on Oct. 29, McKenna said she is hopeful that more businesses will participate. Last year, she noted, 11 vendors participated, including interior decorating, a broker, a tutor, an occupational therapist, a chiropractor, an artist and an Arbonne health and wellness consultant.  To get the word and encourage parish business owners’ to join in the Networking Showcase, McKenna said that announcements were posted in the bulletin, on the website and by word-of-mouth.

The Oct. 29 Networking Showcase will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and all parishioners are encouraged to stop by the parish hall either before or after attending Sunday Mass.

“We may see each other around church at Mass but we don’t know each other’s names. A goal of the Networking Showcase is to help put faces to names and vice versa,” McKenna said. “This is about promoting and supporting a strong feeling of family within the parish.

Nativity Parish is located at 180 Ridge Road, Fair Haven.