Our local businesses continue to need the community's support as we celebrate the holiday season and head into the winter months. Keep money local and shop at our local businesses for all your holiday gifts and needs! Visit our website to browse our members.

The Kennebec Valley Chamber’s Shop Local Program encourages gift certificate holders to shop locally and keep money right here in the Kennebec Valley. More than 100 KV Chamber member businesses accept our gift certificates from restaurants to auto repair shops to gyms to retail locations. Certificates are sold in $5, $10, $25 and $50 denominations, with no additional fees.

Governor Janet Mills announced an economic recovery grant program to support Maine’s tourism, hospitality, and retail small businesses. Backed by $40 million in Federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF), the Tourism, Hospitality & Retail Recovery Grant Program is focused specifically on supporting Maine’s service sector small businesses, such as restaurants, bars, tasting rooms, lodging and retail shops, which have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and now face additional challenges with the coming winter months.

Like the Maine Economic Recovery Grant Program, a business must demonstrate a need for financial relief. However, the Tourism, Hospitality & Retail Recovery Grant Program will evaluate need based on gross sales loss between March and September 2020 compared to the same time in 2019. Previously, the Maine Economic Recovery Grant Program evaluated loss based on revenues minus expenses incurred during two different periods of 2020. This targeted change will allow a wider range of businesses to receive support.

The application portal will open Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. on DECD’s website and will remain open until funds are depleted. The application is expected to take about ten minutes to complete. Funds must be committed by December 30, 2020 per guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department.

Grants will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis which will allow for funding to be dispersed as applications are received and reviewed.

Additionally, Governor Mills announced a grant program to support health care organizations that serve residents with MaineCare and sustain vital health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Beginning today, health care organizations that were ineligible for funding under the Maine Economic Recovery Grant program may apply for the new grants. These include hospitals and nursing facilities of any size, as well as congregate care, behavioral health, community service providers, and other providers with more than 250 employees. Health care organizations must have served MaineCare members in 2020 to qualify. The new grants will provide up to $100,000 in financial relief for health care organizations that have incurred business disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DECD will administer the grant program in coordination with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

The application portal for the program will open Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at noon on DECD’s website. The deadline to apply is December 10, 2020. Awards are expected to be distributed prior to the end of the month. The award amount will be based on demonstrated need, accounting for other sources of funding providers have accessed to offset revenue losses related to the pandemic. 

As a financial advisor, David spends his days getting to know his clients, learning the vision they have for their financial futures, and helping to plan the path to achieve these futures. In this webinar, David will be sharing his experience in setting goals and addressing the obstacles we encounter and have to hurtle to reach them. Additionally, he will be sharing the importance of establishing goals, making these goals a high priority, and surrounding ourselves with supportive people.

If you are interested in sponsoring CYNERGY and its programming, please contact Katie Doherty at kld@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Kennebec Valley Chamber members are invited to join us for our 2020 Annual Meeting on Friday, December 4th from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. The primary matter of business is to confirm the 2021 Board of Directors. The 2020 Board Chair, Alec Rogers of Quality Inn & Suites Maine Evergreen Hotel, will also conduct a quick recap of the year. Only current members who are in good-standing will be emailed a Zoom conference after registering for the event.

A discussion with Michele Pelletier, President of PERFORMANCE Foodservice – NorthCenter, a big business tucked along the Kennebec River distributing food to thousands of customers in New England.

Before starting her foodservice career, Michele was a corporate tax accountant in Portland, Maine. In 1999, she decided to move back to the area where she was born and brought up to start her new life with now husband, Dan Webster III. Michele began working at NorthCenter in the accounting department in December of 1999. Since then, she has held the VP title in operations, purchasing and sales. She began her presidency in July of 2018.

Please join us for the final Chamber Connection of the year as we celebrate the graduation of the Kennebec Leadership Institute Class of 2020. Each KLI student will present on what they have learned and their experiences with the program. Due to health and safety concerns, this year's graduation will be held virtually so all of the students' friends, family, and supporters can attend.

Does your business need PPE? The KV Chamber has masks available for our members! Please contact us at info@kennebecvalleychamber.com or by calling (207) 623-4559 so we can assist you with your needs.

Augusta Fuel Company

AAA Travel and Insurance Agency | Manpower

20+ Years

A-COPI | Alternative Manufacturing Inc. | Central Maine Pyrotechnics | EZToUse.com | Friends of Lithgow Library, Inc. | Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed | Gardiner Family Chiropractic | Kennebec Valley Family Dentistry | McFarland Electric Inc. | Neokraft Signs, Inc. | Pat Jackson, Inc. | Quirion Construction

Budget Blinds | Capitol Dental Care | Choice Wealth Advisors | communicado! | Damon's Pizza & Italians | Ellis Law | Funeral Alternatives | Harvard Pilgrim Health Care | Moody's Collision | Stoney Creek Antiques, LLC

Amtrak Downeaster | Blueberry Broadcasting | Hunting Works for Maine | Merit Pools | N.C. Hunt Lumber | Re:Solutions Advocacy Services, LLC | The Major's Furniture & Appliance

Aerus, the global leader in surface and air purification solutions, announced that independent test results on their Hydroxyl Blaster with ActivePure Technology confirms that the product kills the SARS-CoV-2 virus on surfaces. The testing data conducted by independent Food and Drug Administration-compliant laboratory, MRIGlobal, established a 99.98% surface kill rate of live SARS-CoV-2 virus in seven hours. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19. Aerus’ award-winning ActivePure Technology is scientifically proven to destroy microscopic pathogens and contaminants on surfaces and in the air and is available in over 70 Aerus products, including the Aerus Medical Guardian cleared by the FDA as a Class II Medical Device 510(k). The Aerus Hydroxyl Blaster with ActivePure Technology is an affordable, mobile, plug-and-purify air purifier that works on interior aerosolized pathogens and surface contaminants. For more information on the efficacy of ActivePure Technology, please go to ActivePure.com/covid.

Central Maine Power is donating $150,000 to the Travis Mills Foundation. The donation will be used to provide lighting for a new Health and Wellness Center located on the Foundation’s retreat in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. Central Maine Power’s donation will significantly help the foundation meets its fundraising goal of $5.1 million. The new 9,800 square foot facility will house a new indoor pool and fitness center.

Kennebec Behavioral Health is hosting its fourth annual comedy show fundraiser "A Night IN" featuring stand-up comedian group, the River Comics on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 pm via Zoom. KBH invites the community to stay home and join in the fun with Leonard, Sam and Kyron of the River Comics who will put on a show that can be enjoyed safely and comfortably at home. You bring the snacks, they’ll bring the laughs! Comedy show and 50/50 raffle tickets are available now at WWW.KBHMAINE.ORG/ANIGHTIN or by contacting Tina Chapman at KBH tchapman@kbhmaine.org. KBH will also be hosting a themed basket raffle which includes their money bouquet raffle leading up until the start of the comedy show. Raffle tickets are available at https://go.rallyup.com/ANIGHTIN. The winners of the 50/50 and money bouquet will be drawn live during the comedy show.

MaineGeneral Health delivered a truck-full of 6,000 pounds of donated food and funds to Augusta and Waterville food banks on November 10th to help feed the hungry this season. The donations came after a week of collections across MaineGeneral practices and departments during Kindness Week. The idea for the drive came from the health system’s Nurse Engagement Committee, which was formed in 2015 to create a strong, positive work environment and nursing culture at MaineGeneral.

MaineGeneral Health announced that Dr. Stephen Meister, medical director of the Edmund N. Ervin Pediatric Center at MaineGeneral Health, was presented with a 2020 Giraffe Award from the Maine Children’s Alliance for lifetime achievement from the Maine Children’s Alliance. The award recognizes Dr. Meister’s commitment and work to improve health care for children statewide.

SERVPRO of Augusta/Waterville says use common sense and caution to help control risk of holiday season home fires. Fire damage restoration specialist Anthony Wolverton says, "We all enjoy bringing the glow of the holiday season to our homes with Christmas trees or menorahs and candlelight, but these statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration1 show how easy it is for home decorating to turn into a home disaster."

In addition to exercising caution with candles and heat sources, it is important to follow manufacturers' guidelines for holiday lighting, says Wolverton.

To submit Member News, send your press releases to: info@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Quality Inn & Suites Maine Evergreen Hotel

Augusta Civic Center

Walton External Affairs

J.S. McCarthy Printers

Camden National Bank

MaineGeneral Health

Capital Area Staffing Solutions, Inc.

Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce

Lipman & Katz, P.A.

Sprague & Curtis Real Estate

Ellis Law, LLC

G&E Roofing Co., Inc.

Cross Insurance Agency

Ganneston Construction Corp.

Stained Glass Express

Performance Foodservice - NorthCenter

Macomber, Farr & Whitten

Kennebec Savings Bank

Central Maine Power Company

University of Maine at Augusta

Katie L. Doherty, President & CEO, kld@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Lindsay L. Corbett, Office Manager, llc@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Kayla M. Tracy, Events & Membership Director, kmt@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Caroline A. Saban, Marketing Director, cas@kennebecvalleychamber.com