January 4, 2023

JOIN US IN WELCOMING OUR NEWEST MEMBER! Genesis Medical Weight Loss  51 Pennsylvania Ave, Huntingdon https://genesismedicalweightloss.com/

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Last Call: Community Improvement Award Nominations The Community Improvement Award is sponsored by the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce and the Huntingdon County Planning Commission. The Huntingdon County Community Improvement Award is intended to recognize excellence in development. New building construction, or substantial rehabilitation, subdivision and land development, and park and open space projects are eligible. The nomination deadline is January 6, 2023.   Click here for the guidelines. Click here for the nomination form.

Expanding Mental Health Benefits In the past couple of years, many employers have expanded their company’s mental health benefits as a show of support for potential job seekers, employees, and their families. The intention is to help promote employee well-being through better access and improved benefit levels for those feeling stressed about personal or work-life matters.  Workers seem to appreciate the efforts and are taking advantage of the services. Some of the changes business owners are making include: Increasing access to mental health services through methods like telehealth An expansion of access to in-network mental health provider Reduced cost sharing for mental healthcare visits The addition or expansion of employee assistance programs for mental health services Access to yoga, meditation and mindfulness sessions at the workplace or home Providing apps that support wellness, focusing on fitness, sleep and relaxation By addressing issues like stress and anxiety on in a more proactive fashion, employers can reduce or even eliminate costly treatment for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiac problems. The small financial investment the employer makes now can often save substantial costs in the future. The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at hccc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Craig Pritts at (800) 377-3539.

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The Chamber staff always refers callers and visitors to Chamber members first. Members also have the option of displaying their marketing materials on the Chamber’s in-house brochure racks.

Interested in advertising in our enews? Contact Yvonne at [email protected]. The cost is $25.00; $10.00 for 501(3) organizations.

Platinum Fulton County Medical Center Shafer Equipment Co. Gold Stern Insurance Agency   Silver Mutual Benefit Group   Bronze Bumgardner & Flasher Oil, Inc. Community State Bank Grier School Orbisonia Hardware, Inc.    Royal Bange's Masonary MiCamp Solutions LLC Culbertson Commercial Cleaning Service FirstEnergy Corporation Juniata College Keller Engineers Lincoln Caverns, Inc. and Whisper Rocks McDonald's Stiffler, McGraw and Associates, Inc.  Dirtbusters Cleaning Services MCS Bank Interested in learning about becoming a Partner in Excellence? Contact Yvonne at  [email protected]  or 814.643.1110 Packages range from $125 to $1,000.

State of the County Address Coffee Connection February 15, 2023 7:45 to 9:00 a.m. Huntingdon Country Club Huntingdon County Night at the Curve Saturday, August 26, 2023 Sporting Clay Tournament September 13, 2023 September 20. 2023 (Storm date) Annual Awards Gala Thursday, October 5, 2023 Trophy Mountain Lodge We are planning our 2023 events. If you are interested in hosting a Business Afer Hours or ribbon cutting please let Yvonne know. ymartin@untingdonchamber,com We are also in the process of planning our seminars. Please let us know if you have specific educational needs.

Download our logo to use on your website. Click the logo for more information. Feel free to link the image on your website to our website, huntingdonchamber.com.

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If you are hiring, please send position information to [email protected] or login to the member section of our website to post your jobs. We've begun promoting this on Facebook.

DEP Small Business Advantage Grant The Small Business Advantage Grant provides reimbursement grants ranging from 50% to 80% of eligible project costs to Pennsylvania small businesses to improve energy efficiency or reduce pollution or waste by upgrading or replacing equipment or supplies; improving processes; or reducing runoff into affected waterways. Maximum grant award amounts will vary from up to $5,000 to up to $8,000, based on the environmental impact of the project and whether the project location is in an Environmental Justice Area in Pennsylvania. Click here for the map. Project work completed on or after July 1, 2022 will be considered for funding. The application period will close when funding is exhausted or on March 24, 2023, whichever occurs first. 2022 Small Business Advantage Grant Program Guidelines    Click here for more information.

UC Fraud and UC-1099G Tax Forms https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-treatment-of-unemployment-compensation Victim of unemployment fraud? Criminals using stolen identities filed claims for unemployment compensation in other people's names. Because unemployment compensation is taxable, state unemployment agencies submit Forms 1099-G to individuals in whose names and Social Security numbers the unemployment compensation was paid and to the IRS. Victims of fraud who receive Forms 1099-G with inaccurate amounts of unemployment compensation in Box 1 should notify the state agencies of the inaccuracies and request corrected Forms 1099-G. The Department of Labor details www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/UIIDtheft. Taxpayers should only report income they actually received on their tax returns. Do not report income you did not receive. The IRS offers tax guidance to victims at https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-theft-and-unemployment-benefits. More Information IR-2021-71, IRS to recalculate taxes on unemployment benefits; refunds to start in May IR-2021-81, IRS reminds U.S. territory residents about U.S. income tax rules relating to pandemic unemployment compensation New Exclusion of up to $10,200 of Unemployment Compensation

The Chamber's Membership & Marketing Committee is looking for some people to join the committee and help develop more ways we can support our members. If you would like to learn more about the committee, please contact me at [email protected].

Did you know........ Small businesses represent the largest segment by number of most local chamber membership rolls. Results in the research study by The Shapiro Group, Inc. and Market Street indicate the impact of local chamber membership on small businesses is very powerful. If a consumer knows a small business is a member of its local chamber, the business enjoys a 44 percent increase in its consumer favorability rating, a 51 percent increase in consumer awareness, a 57 percent increase in its local reputation and a 63 percent increase in the likelihood that consumers will patronize the business in the future. Research indicates that chamber membership stimulates business-to-business commerce in the local community. Other businesses in town are more likely to do business with you and your company if you are a member of the local chamber. Because a major part of a small business typically comes from business-to-business services, it is essential to maintain a positive standing within the local business community. Download our logo to use on your website. Click the logo for more information.

Paid Leave Tax Credit Resources and Guidance Click here to view the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Fact Sheet to learn more about the Paid Leave Tax Credit, how it works, and who is qualified to receive it. Click here to view the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s Fact Sheet to learn more about how to claim the tax credit during quarterly filings and additional resources for employers about the program.

Looking for more ways to promote your business? Tag the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce in your Facebook posts and we will share them on the Huntingdon, PA - Promotions & Activities page. This page is followed by more than 4,000 people and it is free advertising for you.

Resources from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber continues to create, update, and evolve its various guides and resources. 10 Steps to Host a Vaccine Clinic  Public-Private Partnership Best Practices for Vaccine Distribution Generalized Overview of the Requirements to Host a Vaccine Clinic  The Best Ways for Employers to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines  Mask Guides: Recommendations for Wearing and Selecting  How to Select a Mask Graphic COVID Vaccines Digital Resources Center Guide to Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Loans COVID-19 Vaccines FAQ Federal Unemployment Assistance Proposals: State Impact Comparison Guide to PPP Loan Forgiveness Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Toolkit Small Business Reopening Playbook Main Street Lending Program Guide State-Specific Guidance Map Backgrounder on Health Coverage Options Backgrounder on Unemployment Insurance Under the CARES Act Independent Contractor's Guide to CARES Act Relief Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist Temporary Paid Leave and Family Medical Leave Guide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program Guide Employee Retention Tax Credit Guide Coronavirus Small Business Guide Coronavirus Response Toolkit

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Quick Connect Coaching Sessions Weekly, Tuesdays at 8:30 am Looking for a quick answer to a question related to disaster recovery, reopening, stabilizing, or projecting for growth? Then attend a "Quick Connect" session to get your questions answered. Each week a consultant will address answers related to a specific topic. Learn more

Contact Us Yvonne Martin President/ CEO [email protected] Mathue Nissley Program Director [email protected] 500 Allegheny Street Huntingdon, PA 16652 Phone: 814-643-1110 Fax: 814-643-1115

Stay Connected Chamber Website ‌ ‌ ‌ Looking to start an endowment or to support community efforts? Click the logo above to learn more about the Huntingdon County Foundation.

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