By China Cassidy There is a fun new trend sweeping its way through Navajo County that takes gift giving and women encouraging women to another level. Creator of the Facebook page, Jaime McPherson, which now has more than 1,400 members across Navajo County, explains what Wine a Friend in Navajo County is all about. The concept behind wine a friend is to gift someone with a basket of items such as snacks, facial products or some type of wine. To help those who want to wine someone, there is a questionnaire that members can fill out that creates a short biography about their interests in case someone wants to make them a basket, but really does not know much about their preferences. According to McPherson, that questionnaire is what sparked her interest. McPherson’s mom, Connie, had joined another similar page on Facebook. McPherson recounted, “My mom added me to this group called Wine a Friend in Arizona and she had posted her bio on there.” McPherson said she loved the idea but quickly realized that there were no participants in the Navajo County area and most of the action was happening in the bigger cities. McPherson then decided she didn’t want to wait for someone else to wine her mom, so she did it herself and explained, “So, I went and made a basket for her and when I took it to her, she was so excited.” Inspired by her mom’s enthusiasm, McPherson took her mom’s advice and created a page for the residents of Navajo County. Since launching the page, McPherson said she’s had quite the response from both men and women who are getting in on the gift giving fun. “I went ahead and made the page and we started on May 11. Since then we have gotten over 1,400 members.” While this gift giving endeavor started as a way of making a small gesture to someone in a time when socializing is heavily discouraged, McPherson said it has since become so much more. Aside from witnessing the new friendships blossoming between strangers, McPherson said it’s been a rewarding experience to see people coming together and supporting one another outside of gifting baskets. The mother of two offered, “Watching people and how generous they are, and their compassion for everyone else, it’s overwhelming. Not only is it a way to network and meet new people, but it’s getting people to come out of their shells and interact with others and be a part of something.” McPherson explained that she believes the group has been somewhat of a support system and a welcomed distraction while adjusting to the restrictions surrounding Arizona’s stay at home order. “It’s hard to be trapped in your house and right now, especially moms are feeling overwhelmed because we’re still having to do the cooking and the cleaning, and the working, if we’re still able, and now we have to be the teacher and we have to keep the kids under control. It can be a lot some days. When you have something else to focus on that’s positive, it can be really good for your mental state because not only are you focused on giving but the excitement of maybe receiving something is exciting too.” McPherson also addressed some concerns that were demonstrated on the page from members who had not been a recipient of a basket. She expressed that while she understands that some people may be feeling left out by not getting a basket, she urges everyone not to forget the point saying, “You have to be involved. Even if you can’t afford to wine somebody else, comment (and) talk to people. That’s going to get you noticed. I always tell people when they join the group it’s not about getting something it’s about giving something and if you get something in return, count it as a blessing.” McPherson added that even though the name of the page implies that wine should be the gift, there are no limitation to what a person can gift or the support they can give. “This group isn’t just about wining. It’s a group for everybody. It’s for people to come in and be able to do something nice for others and maybe get something nice in return and it doesn’t have to be alcohol. We even have guys who are members.” There’s no telling how long this trend will last, but according to McPherson, the experiences will not soon be forgotten. The creator of the Wine a Friend in Navajo County shared her thoughts on what she thinks people will take away from it saying, “It’s getting people out and involved again. Even if Wine a Friend dwindles out, it served a purpose in getting people out there again and feeling like they have a purpose outside of quarantine.”
