Did You Know?
The 2nd Round of Grants & Loans for ACC Small Businesses & Non-Profits with 1-20 Employees is Open October 13th-27th!
Funded through the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) and the federal CARES Act, the Joint Development Authority (JDA) of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County and the City of Winterville is opening a second round of applications for emergency grants and low-interest emergency loans to provide assistance to local small businesses and 501c(3) non-profits impacted by COVID-19. The grant program is first-come, first-served for eligible businesses and 501c(3)s.
Featured Jobs
We have new Featured Jobs on our website!
Check out our new Featured Jobs listings from Golden Food Pantry Stores, Inc. and Express Employment Professionals. They are both hiring for a variety of jobs and skill sets. Please check out our page and share these jobs with someone you know searching for employment!
Women Owned Businesses!
In honor of National Women's Small Business Month, we would like to recognize some of our member businesses owned by women for the rest of October. This week's honorees:

225 Milledge- Kimberly Moss
Avid Bookshop- Janet Geddis
BoomAthens- Betsy Bean
burton+BURTON- Maxine Burton
Connect Ministries-Kendell Miller
Emineo Marketing- Rebecca Best
Global Escapes- Tiffany Hines

Let's support our women owned businesses this month and every month!
Upcoming Chamber Chats
AACOC and Oconee Chamber Host Candidate Forum
The Athens Area and Oconee Chambers will co-host a Candidates Forum on Wednesday, October 14th from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Candidates for the area's Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate seats as well as candidates for the District Attorney race will be available. The event will be streamed via Facebook live on the AACOC page.  

Questions for the candidates will be determined by the Chambers of Commerce. If you have suggested questions that can be posed to all candidates, please send them to david.bradley@athensga.com. 
Imagine a Day without Water!
Is your business losing money drip by drip? If you have a water leak, money could be going down the drain. Take control of your water bill by getting WaterSmart. Join us on October 21st and learn about a new, online tool from the ACC Public Utilities Department. Discover when you use the most water, get leak alerts, pay your bill, and more with WaterSmart. 
Business in 2020- Drug Free Workplace or Drug Safe Haven
Join us for this FREE workshop on October 28th which will:

1. Address the growing challenge of drug trafficking across Georgia's counties and cities.
2. Address the difficulties in attacking the supply side of America's drug problem.
3. Emphasize the importance of addressing the demand side of the problem.
4. Point out that the largest concentration of demand for drugs is in the American workplace.
5. Explain the 5 steps required for drug free certification in GA which qualifies a company for the state-mandated 7.5% discount on workers' compensation insurance.

Led by Chris Manning, the Associate Executive Director of the 50+ year old nonprofit The Council on Alcohol and Drugs.
Announcements
Historic Athens Welcome Center: Pumpkins on the Porch
Athens businesses are invited to participate in the first ever Pumpkins on the Porch contest!

  1. Grab a pumpkin and an entry form from the Historic Athens Welcome Center. 
  2. Decorate it to represent YOUR business and place it back on the porch with your entry form. 
  3. The general public is invited to judge the pumpkins for yourself and cast your vote online! Free to enter.

Questions? Contact Michelle Nguyen.
St. Joseph Catholic Parish School is having a HUGE yard sale!
Please come join them and find some awesome bargains as you support St. Joseph Catholic School on Saturday, October 17th from 8AM to 12PM! They are located at 958 Epps Bridge Parkway Athens, GA 30606. Can't wait to see you there!
Join A-Corps!
The Athens Community Corps (A-Corps) is a pilot program coordinated by the ACCGov Economic Development Department. A-Corps will employ 10 residents in new, temporary full-time positions with benefits for 11 months.
Click to enlarge image
Georgia Chamber of Commerce: Future of Talent
Join the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and educational experts who will share how they are retraining, upskilling and preparing today’s workforce for the jobs and skills required in the New Georgia Economy.
Athens YMCA Annual Trunk or Treat
Sign up to host a trunk during their third annual Trunk or Treat on Thursday, October 22nd! Families must pre-register. They need help from the community to pull this event off. To make Trunk or Treat extra special, they need 30 trunks to pass out candy. Trunk registration going on NOW!

Interested in donating candy? You can drop off individually wrapped candy to the front desk. THANK YOU!
 
B Corps Workshop: The Why and How of Certifying as a Business with Purpose
Envision Athens, Athens-Clarke County’s Economic Development Department, local entrepreneur Jennifer Davidson, and Nathan Stuck of Ad Victoriam Solutions have organized a workshop on B Corps Certification on Thursday, October 22nd, 4-6 PM. Use the password BCORP2020 to register using the button below.
ACCA: The newest issue of Connections is out!
View the latest issue of the Athens Area Council on Aging's publication, Connections, to learn about our partnerships with local organizations and businesses, virtual trips and the risk of social isolation during a pandemic. 
Apply for the Athens-Clarke County Vision Committee!
The Housing and Community Development Department has three vacancies on its Vision Committee. The Vision Committee “provides input on emerging community needs that may be addressed using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. Evaluates CDBG applications to ensure they appropriately meet the Consolidated Plan goals and address community needs. Provides feedback to assist the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government in prioritizing CDBG funding.” Mainly, this committee helps staff prioritize federal funding that benefits low-income individuals and families. 
Donate your promotional items to Little Athens Children's Museum!
If you have any promotional materials you'd like to distribute to kids and families, Little Athens Children's Museum is happy to take them and add them to our free kits. Stress balls, mints, or yoga instructions for the self care kits, branded frisbee or coupon for a kid haircut for the family theme, or some holiday gift ideas or 2021 calendar for our holiday theme? If you've got something you think would be a good fit, let them know. They're requesting 100 of each item, and will get those into the hands of local kids and families!
Book Java Joy!
Java Joy is mobile coffee cart service empowered by Extra Special People, Inc. We are now safely serving Athens and Oconee businesses to bring the joy of people of all abilities to you!
Thank you to all of our 2020 Chamber Champions!
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