2020 4th Quarter Update
Your Membership at Work
Membership in YOUR Union County Chamber is an investment not only in your business, but in your community. Your investment dollars fund the vital work to help our community during the COVID-19 outbreak. From access to potential funding to PPE to making customer referrals, YOUR Chamber is actively involved in helping our businesses recover.
COVID-19 Chamber Response
YOUR Union County Chamber worked in partnership with the County to help
200+ small businesses access grant money from the County.
Vital Information
Shared timely, vital information about COVID-19 and its impact, funding sources, and local, state and federal regulations.
Connection to Experts
Connected members to experts in health care, labor law, public policy, Human Resources, and more through virtual meetings.
Where to find PPE
Helped members and non-members find Personal Protection Equipment, and cleaning products when supplies were low.
In March, we tapped into our resources at the local, state, and federal levels to gather accurate, up-to-date information about the outbreak, regulations, public policy, and where members could find PPE and sanitizing supplies.
We created a COVID-19 Business Impact Information page as a hub where business owners could find information as well as resources to answer their questions about the outbreak.
The Chamber team shifted gears quickly, moving to a virtual platform for events in order to keep everyone informed safely.
YOUR Chamber provided that information by bringing experts in healthcare, public policy, law, human resources, mental health, and more to our membership.
In the days immediately following NC Governor Roy Cooper’s Stay-at-Home Order in March, the Chamber hosted 3 virtual sessions on SBA loans, FMLA changes, and the CARES Act.
Behind the scenes, YOUR Chamber team was on virtual meetings daily with local, state, and federal agencies and elected officials. We attended healthcare briefings, reached out to individual elected officials to learn what was happening and to share what our members and community were going through.
The Chamber provided much needed information about the definition of essential business – and how to work through the process of receiving that designation.
When the national organizations cancelled or postponed Small Business Week in May – YOUR Chamber hosted Small Business Strong Week. We provided expert panels on communicating with customers, reopening and rebounding responsibly, and managing change.
We also highlighted how our local small businesses were adjusting to the pandemic and finding innovative ways to serve their customers, as well as give back to our community. Finally, we encouraged our community to shop, dine, and give locally.
One of our proudest accomplishments happened toward the end of 2020. Chamber President Pat Kahle reached out to Union County Manager Mark Watson on behalf of members to work together to have the Union County Board of County Commissioners to sign a resolution in support of Union County businesses. She also asked the County to provide financial support for Union County small businesses.
The Board of County Commissioners and the staff set aside $1 million of CARES funding for grants for small businesses called Union County Back 2 Business.
The response from small business was incredible – the County received over $2.5 million in applications. To the County’s credit, the staff went back two more times and reallocated more dollars to the program. In the end, the County distributed over $2.4 million to over 200 small businesses in Union County.
THE WORK CONTINUES
Since March, YOUR Union County Chamber has not stopped. It is YOUR partnership and YOUR investment that makes all of this work to champion business growth and prosperity in Union County possible.
We mean it when we call it YOUR Union County Chamber.
