MEMBER CONNECT
May 12, 2020
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Greetings!
Here is this week's
Member Connect
e-newsletter featuring informative and useful content and a responsive interface accessible to you anywhere, anytime. Enjoy!
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I trust you found creative ways to celebrate the women in your life over the weekend. Mother’s Day 2020 will certainly go down as one like never before.
This week we’re awaiting review of the
Lane County Blueprint for Reopening
submitted to the state last Friday. The application is very much still pending, but we remain optimistic.
Ahead of a near future reopening, and with a valiant effort to stand up another useful tool for our businesses, the Springfield and Eugene Chamber will be publishing a digital guide to Phase I reopening. Final markups are under review today. Keep your eyes peeled for the release of the
Back to Business: A Guide to Re-Opening
in Lane County coming your way this week. The Back to Business guide is intended to be a useful resource you can go-to as you plan for a smooth reopening under Phase I guidelines. And that’s not all.
This month’s
Business Boot Camp LIVE
series of webinars presents a timely opportunity to plan for a restart of your business, with recovery and resiliency top of mind. Look for more information in this bulletin.
Please continue to stay connected with your chamber staff and fellow members, so that we can be your best advocate and champion.
Remember, we’re still just a phone call away.
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-Vonnie Mikkelsen, President and CEO
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Business Bootcamp LIVE
Wednesday May 13, Wednesday May 20, & Wednesday May 27
Virtual Zoom Webinars - FREE for Members
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Join The Springfield Chamber ONLINE
for Session 1 of Business Boot Camp
TOMORROW
!
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SESSION 1:
Wednesday, May 13
How to Reopen: Tips for relaunching your business in a changing world
Session one will feature Robert Killen, Director of the Lane Small Business Development Center. As Oregon businesses prepare to reopen this spring and summer, join us next week for a presentation and a question and answer session as we all plan for the future.
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Education & Talent Development
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Upcoming Education Meetings
May 21st, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
If you would like to join this committee meeting or if you have any questions please email our Director of Development and Talent Initiatives Paige Sharpe (
paige@springfield-chamber.org
)
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In a press briefing last week, Governor Kate Brown announced additional details for the Phase I reopening of Oregon.
The Governor began accepting applications for reopening counties on May 8th. Counties must meet certain criteria to reopen, including:
1. Declining COVID-19 prevalence
2. Minimum Testing Regimen
3. Contact Tracing System
4. Isolation Facilities
5. Finalize Statewide Sector Guidelines
6. Sufficient Healthcare Capacity
7. Sufficient PPE Supply
Should counties meet the prerequisites, they can enter into Phase I reopening on May 15th. After a minimum 21 days in Phase I, counties continuing to meet the prerequisites may be able to enter Phase II. Lane County submitted their application on May 8th and is currently under review.
We've compiled a list of relevant links related to Reopening Oregon, including a document from the Governor's office, Lane County's blueprint for reopening, guidelines by sector and category, and more. You can locate them under the tab "Reopening Oregon" in our Business Resource Hub COVID-19:
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COVID-19 CARES Act Updates
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Watch the latest US Chamber + Inc. National Town Hall for more information
on how small businesses can begin to think about reopening and the latest on the CARES Act and PPP loans:
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Watch the latest short video update from Robert Killen, Director of Lane Small Business Development Center (SBDC), with Updates and Rumors on PPP and EIDL:
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WaFd Bank is hosting a PPP Loan Forgiveness webinar tomorrow,
May 13th at 12:30pm.
The webinar will be moderated by Brent Beardall, President and CEO of WaFd Bank.
Borrowers of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans may be eligible for loan forgiveness, up to the principal amount of their loan. How do you qualify for this loan forgiveness? Join us to hear what we’ve learned and the further guidance we need from the SBA to help small business owners make the right choices through the rest of the process.
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The Oregon Employment Department is providing unemployment benefits through the CARES Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. In preparation, the agency has recruited and trained staff to process PUA claims. Please access the PUA application and certification forms on the CARES Act section of the Employment Department’s COVID-19 web page:
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IRS information (English & Spanish) for taxpayers, businesses, tax-exempt organizations, and others who need information about Coronavirus tax relief and economic impact payments:
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Community Leaders Comment on Indoor Track: Part 2
The Chamber reached out to a few community and business leaders to hear their thoughts on the proposed indoor track project in Glenwood. For the next few weeks, we will be sharing the comments we have received to questions asked about the indoor track project and the impact it could have on the greater Springfield/Eugene community.
For the second in our series, we’re sharing interviews with Tina Patel of Alko Hotels, and Jim Christian, SCDC Board Member.
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Business Updates for COVID-19
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Click the link below for the latest business updates for COVID-19 from the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce (OSCC), including detailed information on:
OBI hosts webinar with House Republican Leader Christine Drazen
Business Oregon Launches $10 million Grant Program for Local Communities to Support Small Businesses Throughout Oregon
Employment and Economic Response to COVID-19
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In Your Words
Oregon Businesses Respond to COVID-19
Local Chambers of Commerce have collected nearly 200 personal stories from Oregon businesses and non-profits that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. These local businesses shared their challenges accessing federal stimulus dollars, impacts to their workforce, and issues they anticipate in reopening when the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order is eventually lifted.
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The stories being collected are part of an effort by the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce to collect unfiltered and real feedback from local businesses to help policymakers both understand what's happening to local businesses and adopt policies that hit the mark in helping with recovery.
Governor Kate Brown recently announced that she is considering a sector-specific strategy to reopen Oregon. The Governor and state legislature needs to hear from impacted businesses today to secure the support they need to reopen and recover.
Share your story by taking the survey below.
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COVID-19 Business Impact Survey Results
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Last month, we asked you to participate in a survey from Business Oregon, in partnership with Travel Oregon and Small Business Development Centers, to help assess how COVID-19 is impacting businesses. Information gathered by this survey is vital to policy-makers who are working to provide assistance to businesses during this crisis. See the results from the Survey below.
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Legislative Advocacy
Your Business. Your Community. Your Voice.
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Government Issues & Economic Development Committees
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As the COVID-19 response continues to move rapidly at the local, state, and federal levels, we have moved our Government Issues Committee meetings to a weekly occurrence. We invite you to join us 8am Tuesday mornings via Zoom to stay on top of local, regional, and state issues of impact on business and community.
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Upcoming Government Issues Committee Meetings
Tuesday, May 19th, 8:00am, Zoom Conference
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Oregon RAIN Spanish Workshop: Finanzas para negocios 101
Thursday, May 21
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Oregon RAIN is organizing their first workshop in Spanish on May 21, from 12-1pm, run by Ani Raas. Please
join the workshop and help spread the word among Latinx business owners!
Finanzas para negocios 101:
Cómo emprendedor es sumamente importante manejar bien las finanzas. Aprenda con Anielis Raas (Ani) los básicos de finanzas para administrar su pequeña empresa el Jueves, 21 de Mayo.
Business Finances 101
: As an entrepreneur, it is highly important to manage finances well. Learn the basics of small business finances with Anielis Raas (Ani) on Thursday, May, 21st.
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Travel Oregon COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant Program
Application open May 11 8AM - May 15 at 5PM.
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In an effort to support entities that have direct ties to driving overnight visitation, Travel Oregon has established a COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant Program. Continued operations of small businesses and regional and local destination marketing/management organizations will be vital to economic recovery efforts.
The application process is now open through this week until 5 p.m. on May 15.
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Open for Business
Stay Home | Support Local
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If you have gift cards available for sale, list your organization on
supportlocal.usatoday.com
, and help in building a one-stop-shop for purchasing from local Springfield restaurants and retailers.
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Update Your Chamber Listing
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We're in the works making our
2020-2021 Springfield Magazine + Directory!
We ask that you please check if your listed Membership Information is correct for inclusion in the directory portion of our print magazine:
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Please login to your member account if you'd like to make any changes to your primary representative, address, phone numbers, emails or website:
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The Chamber Community has been stepping up, leaning in, making tough decisions, surviving, innovating, hiring, pivoting, and is deserving of support and acknowledgment. Check out some of these important updates from our Chamber members:
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Relief Nursery
collected an astonishing 14,000+ of diaper donations in the past week from the community! This stock of diapers will come very close to meeting the need of Relief Nursery families for one month.
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Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week!
Springfield Public Schools
has put together a photo album of nearly 350 pieces of student art they submitted showing how much we care about our teachers. Art is being displayed in home windows so teachers can see them as they pass by - check out photos in the album below!
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During these uncertain times, we recognize the strength and resiliency of the Springfield Chamber community. Thank you to those who have shared your story. To all our members, please help us share yours. Contact Elora Kelsh,
elora@springfield-chamber.org
for more information.
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Welcome New Chamber Members!
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Shiloh Powers: Edward Jones
We all experience uncertainty around our finances at one point or another.
As a financial advisor, I help my clients navigate these challenges—whether they are just getting started or are planning how to make wealth last throughout retirement. Having a person you trust help guide your through major life changes is something that everyone deserves.
Address:
1400 Executive Parkway #307, Eugene
Phone
:
(541) 484-3168
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Life Flight Network
The mission of Life Flight Network is to provide critical care transportation to ill or injured patients in a safe, compassionate, efficient, and expeditious manner.
The key values of Life Flight Network are safety, customer service, excellence, compassion, and social justice.
Address:
800 Row River Road #102, Cottage Grove
Phone
:
(503) 678-4364
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As Food Supply Chain Breaks Down, Farm-To-Door CSAs Take Off
Images of some American farmers
dumping milk, plowing under crops
and tossing perishables amid sagging demand and falling prices during the deadly coronavirus pandemic has made for dramatic TV.
But it's not the whole story.
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Springfield's New City Manager: Nancy Newton
Nancy Newton is Springfield’s new City Manager! Newton’s contract was unanimously voted for approval by the Springfield City Council in March, and she officially began serving on April 20, 2020. Nancy brings a wealth of experience to our community. Learn more about her experience and background in her bio below, provided by our partners at the City of Springfield!
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Oregon begins to reopen, but many industries never closed; how has that worked out?
As states around the country move to restart their economies, they are reopening industries that Oregon never closed. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown took a very different approach to her March shutdown order than other states. She directed some businesses to close –
bars and restaurants, most prominently
– but
allowed most other sectors to continue operating
so long as they could maintain safe distances among their workers and customers.
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Advertising Opportunities Available
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The Bottom Line
is The Springfield Chamber's fully online magazine! As a web-based publication the format is searchable, tag-able and shareable. The content is easily viewed on all devices, from mobile to PC. In addition, the Chamber is able to publish content throughout the month, creating a more responsive opportunity for member businesses to share their stories, information and events.
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Consider placing an advertisement in
The Bottom Line.
The content is relevant to business owners like yourself and our readership is growing fast!
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Place your ad today!
Contact Judy at
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Member Connect | Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
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