From West Roxbury Transcript
By David Ertischek
February 21, 2007

Boston residents can now get rebates back from some of their favorite stores while at the same time helping out local nonprofits, thanks to the Boston Community Change Card. And it won’t cost an extra dime.

“It is a community loyalty card which if you go to a shop like Fern’s, you will get a 10 percent discount off a purchase of more than $100,” said Kelly Tynan, director of West Roxbury Main Streets. “You get a rebate back from that purchase. A portion of that goes to the customer, and a portion of that goes to Boston Main Streets Foundation, and then another portion of your purchase goes to a charity of your choice.”

Presently, there are at least 10 West Roxbury and 10 Roslindale businesses that are accepting the Community Change Card, and the list is growing every week. Some of the businesses include Sullivan’s Pharmacy and Village Books in Roslindale, and Sugar or Atlas True Value Hardware in West Roxbury. And you don’t need to purchase $100 worth of goods to see a rebate.

Purchasers also get to choose a Boston-based charity of their choice which will benefit from their purchase. So far, organizations such as Parkway Youth Baseball and Friends of the Lyndon School have already benefited from the Community Change Card.

To get a Boston Community Change Card is simple; just go to the Web site at bostoncommunitychange.org. The first 10,000 people to sign up get the card for free.

This is currently a pilot program, and it is scheduled to be used in Seattle and Chicago over the coming year. ::West Roxbury Transcript