When Bridgett Hartshorn and her husband opened Affordable Furniture & Blinds in 2003, she wanted her business to be about more than end tables and sofas.

“I like getting involved in the community, feeling like I’m making a difference,” she explains. Hartshorn regularly donates furniture to Snowline Hospice, and does her best to lend a hand to residents going through difficult times. “If people need something, we try to help,” she shares.

Four years ago, Hartshorn joined the Placerville Drive Business Association, and along with other community groups, she hopes to continue to grow and develop the potential of Placerville. For the last four years, her business has hosted the End of the Trail Dinner Dance, which brings a festive finale to the Highway 50 Association’s Annual Wagon Train. The event proceeds go to community improvement projects, such as the planned construction of a decorative arch over the Placerville Drive entranceway. Last winter, Hartshorn also helped to organize the new Hangtown Holiday Ice Rink. It’s clear that she is passionate about providing fun, family-friendly activities for area residents. “It feels good to help the county and the kids,” she says. “It keeps me young.”

For more about Bridgett Hartshorn and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – El Dorado County Foothills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.