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    March 24, 2020         The Weekly Newsletter of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce

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Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce: The Update
FRONT PAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS & SERVICES ADVOCACY NETWORKING SMALL STREET
JOURNAL

 

 
Front Page  

Upcoming Events

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020:Chamber Town Hall Meeting

 

Read the current Small Street Journal for updates and announcements from Chamber members. Please submit your updates to Kaylynn Stahlbusch.

 

Awards & Recognition

Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings

New Members

Newsletter Archives

Job Board

Member to Member Coupons New Member Referral Program Board of Directors Staff

YPCV

Helpful Links Related to COVID-19:

Keep Calm and Stop the Spread - #stopthespreadec

As previously announced, the Chamber has suspended all in-person events, at least through the end of April. The Chamber staff is now working from home, and making it the top priority to provide members with the most current information on responding to and weathering the crisis.

For the most up-to-date information, please go to our website, www.eauclairechamber.org, click on Communications, Eau Claire Chamber blog for information regarding state and federal resources and recommendations for businesses, briefings from the office of Gov. Evers, federal action and updates, and voting information.  There is also a dedicated page called COVID-19 Information that contains information shared by our members and community partners.  

We also invite you to join the Facebook group, Chippewa Valley Business Community COVID-19 Resource.  This group is intended to be a platform for local businesses to share how best to engage and support them during this period of social distancing. The page asks that area businesses share how they are making their organizations accessible to the public so we can weather the health and economic storm together.

As always, your Chamber is here for you.  Now more than ever, we must pull together as a community and be there for each other as we navigate through the days ahead.  

 

 

 

Eau Claire Chamber Virtual Town Hall Meeting For Businesses to Be Held Thursday, March 26

The Chamber, in collaboration with WIN Technology, will be holding a virtual town hall meeting for businesses on Thursday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m.  

This town hall meeting will feature a virtual question & answer session with Dave Minor, President & CEO of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and other community partners to answer questions related to the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on businesses in the Chippewa Valley.

***Registration is required and a link to login to this session will be emailed to you prior to the event.  

To register, click here.

 

 

 

Area Hospitals in Need of N95 Masks

The Chamber is reaching out to its members, particularly those relating to the construction industry, to request help in obtaining unused/packaged N95 masks.  These masks are currently in great demand by our area hospitals.  If you find that you do have extra masks available, please consider donating them during this time of need.  To read more, click on the following links:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-calls-on-construction-companies-to-donate-masks-to-hospitals-during-coronavirus-outbreak
https://news.trust.org/item/20200317152633-ocvm2/
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/03/17/pence-we-urge-construction-companies-to-donate-n95-masks-to-hospitals.html

 

 

 

Great American Takeout

The Great American Takeout - #supportlocal 

Restaurants are empty as Americans are sheltering in place. A social-media campaign is in place to encourage people to order takeout on Tuesday in support of workers.

Consumers are being asked to order in on Tuesday and encourage friends and family to do the same, via their social accounts, and then to post pictures of their takeout meals. 

For a listing of Chippewa Valley restaurants currently offering takeout and delivery options, please go to Volume One's Save Your Faves webpage.

 

 

 

Important Information for Employers Regarding Required COVID-19 Testing of Employees 

The following information was shared by the Eau Claire City-County Health Department: 

  • As of right now, no healthcare providers in Eau Claire will test asymptomatic people, even with some type of exposure (i.e. travel, close contact, etc.)
  • Individuals with mild upper respiratory symptoms (without significant comorbidities) are not being tested and are being instructed to stay home if ill.
  • The CDC does not recommend employers require a negative COVID19 test to return to work.
  • If a worker has travel history aligned with self-quarantine guidance the employee should self-quarantine for 14 days. If they do not develop symptoms they can return to work.

For more information, please go to the Eau Claire City-County Health Department Coronavirus webpage.

 

 

 
Advocacy  

Updated Information: How to Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan

On Saturday, March 21, the Small Business Administration (SBA) declared each of the counties in Wisconsin an SBA Economic Disaster. The SBA will be offering disaster assistance loans for small businesses impacted by COVID-19.  Disaster assistance loans will be offered up to $2M. These loans are working capital loans designed to sustain your business in the way it could have existed if the disaster had not occurred (assessing your ability to pay accounts payable, payroll, paying fixed debt and other operating expenses). These loans are not intended to be for equipment, expansion or to cover past lost profits or make up for an already struggling business before the disaster. Applications and loans are made directly through the SBA…not through a bank.  

Click here for details on how to apply, provided by Luke Kempen, Director of the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center  

*Webinars for Wisconsin businesses to help prepare and apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans:
  
Daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Friday, March 27

     
Register to attend a webinar this week at 10am here.
     Register to attend a webinar this week at 2pm here.

 

 

 

What’s at Stake in the April 7 Election?: Voters Are Encouraged to Cast Absentee Ballots

On April 7, area voters go to the polls to elect members of city councils, school boards, county boards and other local offices. There is also a referendum for Chippewa Valley Technical College, a statewide race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a Constitutional Amendment related to victims' rights, and a Presidential Preference Primary. Often, spring elections suffer from low voter turnout, but the local offices elected have significant impact on our businesses and daily lives. 

With concerns about COVID-19 and social distancing, it's even more important to be sure your voice is heard, and there are alternatives to voting on Election Day that can help you do so. Click these links for details about:

Voting Information - including absentee by mail and in-person early voting

Candidate and Ballot Information - Questionnaires and other resources to help you cast an informed vote.

 

 

 

Weekly “Business Advocate” e-Newsletter Now Available

Want to keep up with governmental issues and actions that impact your business? The Chamber’s Governmental Affairs staff now offers a weekly e-newsletter to Chamber members with updates related to local, state and national public policies.

The newsletter is part of the Chamber’s enhanced Business Advocacy Initiative made possible by our investors: Partner Level: Xcel Energy; Advocate Level: Miron Construction; and Supporter Level: Banbury Place/ Cigan Properties, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative and HSHS Sacred Heart & St. Joseph’s hospitals.

To subscribe, simply click here to update your Chamber communication preferences. Select the “Advocacy” box and click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page.

Or for more information,contact Scott Rogers, Governmental Affairs & Workforce Director.

 

 

 
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