October 14, 2022

West Central Equipment Click here to visit their website.

FEMA Cold and Flu Toolkit For the month of November, FEMA is debuting a new toolkit for cold and flu season. Cold and flu season can range from annoying to downright disruptive. We all remember years when the flu sweeps through the office or our homes and knocks everyone out for a few days at a time, and where a cold can linger and nag us for weeks at a time. For most of us, the cold and the flu are almost a rite of passage. For others, with chronic conditions or who catch a particularly nasty strain of the flu, it can lead to hospitalization.   The very nature of cold and flu season is disruptive, and to that end, that’s why FEMA created this toolkit. For hazards like snow and ice or cold weather, we have the option of just staying home for a day or two. But there’s a reason we call it a “season.” There’s simply no way to stay home for months at a time, and thus, we become susceptible to catching a cold or the flu.   Lucky for us, science is on our side. There are tried and true methods to minimize our risk of colds and flu. From the basics, we learned as kids like coughing into our sleeves to strategies like getting a flu vaccine or simply staying home (which, admittedly, is easier now more than ever).   This toolkit covers the basics of colds and flu. It also covers basic healthy living tips that can help to minimize the effects of a cold and flu and generally make us feel better daily. Sure, some of these tips are basic, but the idea of reinforcement is critical during these types of annual events. When the calendar flips to fall, we know every year that we’re about to enter the thick of cold and flu season.   Click here for the toolkit.

Webinar: Medical Insurance Market Changes & Updates The local experts at My Benefit Advisor can guide you through the latest market updates, products, and services to help you understand your renewal options for health insurance and/or employee benefits plans. These webinars will provide general information and answer your questions as open enrollment is right around the corner for most employers. This is the perfect opportunity to explore plan options and learn more about the latest laws, carrier news, and how the MBA program can benefit you. Register for one of our upcoming sessions. Agenda Overview of the Insurance Marketplace Renewal Increases Carrier Updates Cost Saving Strategies Employer Resources Tuesday, October 25 – 10:00 am | Register Tuesday, November 1 – 2:00 pm | Register These free webinars are being offered through our partnership with the ChamberChoice Service Corporation.

Featured Member Benefit

Members have the opportunity to accept Chamber Bucks gift certificates. The Chamber reimburses the businesses for the value of the certificate.  Contact Yvonne at [email protected] or 814-643-1110 to learn more.

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.

Visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HuntingdonChamber, and check out the new Annual Awards Gala photos taken and posted by Mary Jane Smith, MJEM's Photos.

Keeping Employee Benefits Simple It’s possible to overcomplicate employee benefits. Depending on the size, demographics, and level of benefit knowledge among the people who comprise your workforce, there may be value to keeping your benefit program simple and understandable. Most employees already juggle a variety of responsibilities between home life and work life and piling on additional complications from a poorly planned or communicated benefit program without sufficient supporting resources doesn’t help. Companies can start by showing their employees they care by developing a well-thought out, consistent benefit strategy that evolves over time rather than undergoing drastic shifts from year to year. By communicating the cohesive strategy and its associated details on a regular basis through an organized, user-friendly multi-media campaign, employees can better understand their benefit options and make more confident, informed decisions. And by providing employees with ample and targeted resources to facilitate a smooth decision-making and enrollment selection process, employers also win, since their benefit dollar expenditures will yield maximum returns and help improve employee morale and productivity. 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. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it may contain confidential and/or privileged material. This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to the sender. After notifying the sender of the error, you should immediately delete this e-mail from your system. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, duplication, or use of the e-mail contents or any attachments therein is strictly prohibited.

Graystone Manor Huntingdon Business After Hours December 1, 2022 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. State of the County Address Coffee Connection February 15, 2023 7:45 to 9:00 a.m. Huntingdon Country Club Sporting Clay Tournament September 13, 2023 September 20. 2023 (Storm date) 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.

Click here for the flyer.

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.

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

Click here for access to timely resources.

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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