The Westport community is coming together to help local businesses survive in this difficult economic time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

James Dobin-Smith, a freshman at Staples High School, told News 12 that a brainstorming session between a group of his mother’s friends hatched a plan for OneWestport.com. The site is a single platform with a comprehensive list of shops that are in need of help and provides an easy way to buy gift cards from them.

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Dobin-Smith says he built the site, which has all the information the community needs to help local businesses.

“There's phone numbers, emails, and then there's the links I put in where you can just click, and it sends you right to the gift card page of that person's website,” says Dobin-Smith.

The site features restaurants, salons, spas, fitness studios, retailers and service providers with more being added every day.

“In the emails that I'm getting, people are really revealing how truly terrible this time is for lots of different retail businesses,” he says. “It encourages me to do as much as I can to continue the website and make it as easy as possible for them to survive.”

Dobin-Smith says he's heard from people in other towns interested in creating something similar.

Any businesses in Westport that are interested in being listed on the site can email OneWestport.info@gmail.com.