Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce
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Words of
(not quite)
Wisdom
from the Executive Director
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Hello Cross Plains!
Just a quick reminder that we are currently accepting memberships for the 2020/2021 fiscal year (both for businesses & Individuals). We know that many of you may still be wondering "what is the point of a Chamber Membership?". So, I we thought it might be helpful to share a letter that I sent out on May 7th. If you still have questions about becoming a member, please don't hesitate to reach out to
me
or one of the
CPACC board members
!
"What is the point of Chamber Membership?"
Listen, friends, when society starts throwing around blanket definitions of which roles are "essential," although we can understand the meaning in this context, I think everyone starts considering their value a little.
A Chamber of Commerce is a unique thing. Many people think we are a tax funded entity. Not true. Many people think we are a marketing agency. Not true, although we do provide marketing services. Many people think we are Downtown event planners. Not in our job descriptions, although we do believe our community is enriched by having regular activities to enjoy.
At the Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce, we heavily consider ourselves to be customer service professionals. We exist to serve our business members, school districts, individual members, non profit partners, and the residents and visitors of our communities.
We provide word of mouth referrals on a daily basis. We manage a social media presence with broad reach. We create networking connections and new partnerships. We do a number of services that our members can appreciate. We help your granddad find the phone number he didn't find in the yellow pages. We help high school kids navigate the steps of their community service project. We work closely with Village leaders, businesses located on both the Cross Plains Main Street as well as in the greater Cross Plains Area, State agencies, Small Business Development Centers and more to stay in the know of things that could benefit or damage our communities. We are in a constant state of event planning, and are regularly brainstorming new things for families to do-- because the truth is, if nobody enjoys living in and visiting our community, our businesses will not thrive the way we want to see them thrive.
If you ask us "what's the point of joining the Chamber" we can rattle off a list of things we will do for you/your business, and I will explain that in some ways, we are like a gym membership-- the more ways you choose to use your membership, the more benefit you will see. No two people will use the exact same combination of equipment, because we recognize that different members are seeking different results. Overall, like a gym, a Chamber cultivates a healthier community.
A Chamber is many things. We are flexible and ever evolving, because that's what it takes to be forward thinking and relevant. We take situations like the Coronavirus pandemic and not only look for opportunities, but actually create them. We offer a mix of tangible benefits and intangible benefits to our members, but a vibrant Chamber is GOOD for a vibrant community.
Before you dismiss a Chamber of commerce as non-essential for your business, please consider that Chambers are essential for the community. Supporting your chamber is doing something for yourself-- helping to build the quality of life in the communities where you live, work and play.
There is most definitely a point!
I have included a
Membership Enrollment form
in this email and I ask that you consider joining the Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. (You may request a hard copy to be mailed if you prefer.). If your business is experiencing financial difficulty due to the Safer At Home order and you would like to discuss a payment plan, please reach out to me directly either via phone or email.
Thank you for supporting the Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce!
Be Safe & Healthy!
Kind Regards,
Terra Morris
Executive Director
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CPACC WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER FOR
THE 2020/2021 FISCAL YEAR
PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE BUSINESSES AND THEIR SERVICES
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SAVE THE DATE
The Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce & Northwest Dane Senior Services are excited to partner again this year! We are asking you to "Save the Date" to our 2020 Golf Outing. This year's Golf Outing will be held on
Friday September 18th at Lake Wisconsin
!
We are excited to offer a fun and safe event. We will be sending out the sponsorship opportunities within the next two weeks. They will be on a first come first serve basis, so please watch your inboxes! This year we have ensured that there are opportunities to sponsor for every budget.
We look forward to golfing with you!
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POSITIVE MONDAY
June 8, 2020
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Would You Like to Sponsor a Video in Our Weekly Series?
PLEASE CLICK THE BUTTON FOR MORE DETAILS
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT THE CHAMBER DIRECTLY
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"WHAT'S HAPPENING CROSS PLAINS"
Friday Video in the CPACC Video Series
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IS YOUR BUSINESS CURRENTLY OPEN?
NEW HOURS, NEW SERVICES?
IS YOUR ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY?
PROMOTIONS?
MESSAGES?
THIS IS YOUR TIME TO GET YOUR BUSINESS NOTICED!
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE CPACC TO SHARE
NO LATER THAN 12 NOON on THURSDAY June 11th
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Check Out the "What's Happening Cross Plains" Video from June 5, 2020
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MIDDLETON CROSS PLAINS AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
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The 2019-20 school year ended on Friday, but our nine meal distribution sites will continue to serve breakfast and lunch on weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon throughout June. Some times and locations will change starting July 1. Follow the
MCPASD Facebook Page
for updates
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Western Dane County Solar Group Buy
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Cross Plains Parks & Recreation
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Update as of June 3, 2020:
In compliance with the Forward Dane Plan here's what's open & closed as of today:
Playgrounds
- Closed until we reach Phase 3
Restrooms/Fountains
- Closed until we complete requirements and training of staff.
Athletic Fields
- Closed for competition/games. Practices allowed by schedule only; contact Parks and Recreation Department.
Outdoor Pool
- Opening July 1, 2020.
Skate Park
- Opening June 15, 2020.
Tennis Courts
- Open
Gatherings in Parks
- Gatherings in parks are limited to no more than 50 people, and non-household members must social distance of 6' or greater.
We thank you for your patience as we navigating opening back up our facilities in compliance with the Forward Dane program, and keeping you and staff as safe as possible.
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The
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is beginning to add Connect Communities to their new online retail database (Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce is a member of Connect Communities) They are entering any retail businesses that offer online sales that can be delivered within the state beyond gift cards or can be picked up curbside. Right now they are focusing on marketing this tool as a “shop local statewide even if what you need isn’t offered in your home community”. In addition, businesses need to be located in our district and they need to have some kind of online presence. If you are a member of the Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce and would like to be included on their website, please fill out the very short form below
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WMC:
Featuring U.S. Rep. Ron Kind
June 10, 2020 @ 10am
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Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), its trade association partners and local chambers invite you to a business coalition update call. The webinar will feature U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, who represents the 3rd District in western Wisconsin. The call will also feature John Koskinen, Chief Economist for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, who will review the Department's latest economic forecast.
This call is open to all members of the business community.
Agenda:
10:00AM - Introduction: Kurt Bauer, WMC President & CEO
10:05AM - Federal Update: U.S. Rep. Ron Kind
10:20AM - Q&A
10:30AM - Economic Update: John Koskinen, Wisconsin Department of Revenue Chief Economist
10:55AM - Q&A
11:00AM - Adjourn
Due to large call volumes, attendees must register in advance, and attendees must listen via web. Attendees will not be allowed to call-in via phone for audio. Please follow the directions in your confirmation email.
The call will be recorded and made available to individuals who cannot attend.
If you have any other questions, please contact Nick Novak at nnovak@wmc.org.
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St. Martin's Lutheran Church
in Cross Plains is in need of
50 medium sized boxes
for an outreach program for our community (to be launched July 1
st
).
The Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with St. Martin's in part by reaching out to our local businesses to see if they are able to donate sturdy medium sized boxes. If you would like to
donate boxes
or if you have any questions please email Terra Morris at CPACC
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Cross Plains Centennial
"100 Years of Memories"
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The Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce has not forgotten the importance of this year for the Village of Cross Plains. We are celebrating 100 years of our amazing community and although the current circumstances do not allow us to celebrate (right now) the way that we would like to, we still would like to move forward with some of our plans.
We want to hear from YOU.
We would like each of you, businesses and individuals, to write a page about a memory you have of Cross Plains
DROP OFF AT MONONA BANK C/O: CPACC
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We’re All In Small Business Grant
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The online grant application will be accessible for one week from
8 a.m. Monday, June 15, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 21.
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Middleton Outreach Ministry
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First, we are excited to announce that thanks to a tremendous outpouring of support from individuals, businesses, and foundations, we can increase our direct support assistance by over 50% over the next months. MOM’s Case Management team is looking at ways to supplement our already robust housing security programs to offer additional financial assistance to struggling individuals and families and additional funds are available to acquire food as needed. We continue to be overwhelmed by your gifts and care for your community.
This increased assistance will help us fill gaps. Federal, state and county programs that support people in need of assistance have been revised over the last months to help meet new and changing demands. For us, this means coordinating our response and preparing for what continues to be exceptionally uncertain times for many people we serve. We continue to collaborate with other Dane County non-profits to prepare and act.
Our clients and volunteers remain our priority. We have been and will continue to operate our Food Pantry through "curb-side" food box distribution. Each week we are distributing nearly 450 Care Boxes, supplied by Second Harvest Food Bank. While we have been supplementing these boxes for the last months, this past week we started a menu system which allows people to choose what additional food and personal care items they need. We are delighted to, once again, be able to offer choice. We also started distributing gluten free boxes and are beginning to harvest some items from our food pantry gardens. Summer produce will soon be in full swing!
MOM’s Case Managers are meeting the needs of our clients through virtual case management appointments. The need for rental and eviction prevention assistance continues. As we navigate the continuing changes in housing programs, our Case Managers are assessing needs and filling gaps for community members struggling with a severe and sudden loss of income. As housing needs have increased in the past years in our community, we had already budgeted nearly double the rent and eviction prevention assistance we had budgeted in the two years prior. We also added an outreach case manager to the team at the beginning of the calendar year. He has been able to work directly with many of our community partners including the Lussier Community Education Center and several MCPASD social workers to connect families with our services.
Some of our programs are still deeply impacted. Our Clothing Center remains closed to general client access. The Senior Program is not currently offering rides, although still includes food box deliveries to senior clients struggling with access to food and some limited outdoor chores. This means that volunteer opportunities will remain very limited for the time being due to both changes in operations and the need for social distancing. How our seasonal programs, such as our Back to School program, will operate and what the needs will be are still unknown.
We know that people who never thought they would need a food pantry are struggling, and many are worried that they will be taking food from others that they believe need it more. Please encourage anyone you know who could use assistance to come and get support. There is a solid supply of food in the system, and it is ready for anyone who is struggling. They can even send a neighbor or friend to pick-up food. Last week's distribution included cheese curds, milk, and fresh fruits and vegetables. No one needs to struggle with the worry about what they will eat tonight.
We still are not completely open to community food donations, however we can now accept a limited number of items, with donation drop-offs scheduled for specific weekly times to assist with proper staffing. If you have been wishing to donate, we are ready and grateful for your assistance!
Visit updates.momhelps.org for more information on all of these ways to support MOM and the community.
Thank you so much for caring for your neighbors. We feel your support and we are grateful to have the opportunity to pass it on.
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Do you feel like your business or organization is missing some support during this pandemic? Do you know a business owner that is struggling but doesn't know where to turn? We are here to help! Email us today!
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Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce is keeping you up to date about COVID-19 via our Social Media platforms,
Facebook
and
Instagram
,
YouTube
as well as via our
Website
.
Please check there regularly for updates!
GIVE US A FOLLOW
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Village Board of Review Meeting
June 8, 2020 at 6:00 pm
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Village of Cross Plains
Board of Review Meeting
Monday June 8 2020 at 6:00 pm
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