Jessica Dickerson, general manager for Margie’s 901, joined Ben Deeter on “Wake Up Memphis” to share what her ice cream shop has contributed to the community besides handing out banana splits.
Their store has been in the business for 20 years and they want people to know that when they see the shop, they are known for giving back just as much as they are known for their sweet treats.
“Most people, they come downtown and go ‘oh, this little cute ice cream shop,’ but this cute little ice cream shop does a lot for the community,” she said. “We want to make sure we always do something for our community and also our sick and needy.”Their business donates to several local charities like St. Jude, however, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Dickerson has also found other ways to serve like giving the homeless an opportunity to make some money by sweeping outside the store or cleaning tabletops inside.
“It’s one thing for our community to come together, it’s also another thing for us to interact with one another and also give personally,” she said. “I look every individual in the eye, I make sure I have that personal contact because it’s another thing to also be seen.”Margie’s 901 knows what it’s like to go through tough times. The COVID pandemic restricted many businesses from operating normally, so they had to get creative on how they could still continue their business while also making a difference.
That’s when taking their ice cream on the road made all the difference.
“Because we’re already a to-go item, I was able to deliver,” she said. “I was hand delivering ice-cream cakes in Mississippi. I was everywhere. People were still having birthdays and still wanted to be together. We wanted to make sure we were able to still bring them together while being apart. We had the blessing of helping our community and saying ‘hey, we’re still here. We’re still here to help.'”LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW:
