#SupportDownriver #SupportSouthernWayneCounty
Campaign to Revitalize the Downriver Economy
Call to Action: We Need ALL to Participate!
As we navigate through the current health and economic crisis, it is critical that we confront this challenge as a united region. The DCC and Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber have adopted a joint resolution uniting the region as one voice and addressing needs as we look toward several phases necessary for economic recovery. The resolution states our desire to address our region's needs in the areas of 1) support for Downriver municipalities, 2) workforce development, and 3) support of local small businesses. The DCC, SWCRC, business community, and all DCC member municipalities are united as we tackle this crisis in partnership with our federal and state elected leaders.
 
It is critical that our leaders work closely with our business community to understand their needs, and to establish an effective plan to reopen our economy and local enterprise in a safe and responsible manner. The federation of chambers of commerce throughout the State of Michigan is committed to this mission and we can get this done responsibly and safely. Local businesses have been forced to close during this time and they need our help. As one united community, we will save lives, businesses and jobs. While we do everything that is necessary to protect the health and well-being of our community, we cannot standby as our region's job providers and entrepreneurs lose everything they have worked so hard to gain not only for themselves, but for the people of our region. Even in the current times of social distancing and business closures, we can take action to support our businesses. Downriver's business community is made up of the people who employ and provide our region with the opportunity to accomplish our dreams. These are the people who sponsor your child's baseball team, donate pizza for your organization's event, and who make it happen by investing into the efforts and mission of every one of our communities. Government grants, loans, and tax credits can help businesses to survive, but it's not enough. Revitalizing our local economy is going to take more. Real impact comes when people unite and work together to accomplish the remarkable. And the remarkable happens when we support local businesses.
The Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber and the Downriver Community Conference are launching a unified regional campaign to support our local businesses , and to revitalize our local economy in a safe, responsible, and effective way. The campaign is called #SupportDownriver, and #SupportSouthernWayneCounty for municipalities represented by the DCC and SWCRC who count themselves as outside of the traditionally recognized "Downriver" communities. We are asking all of our communities, members and businesses to participate in this positive and encouraging messaging. Now more than ever, it is vital that we support our Downriver and southern Wayne County job providers, entrepreneurs and workforce.  Even during the Stay Home order, there are ways to support our businesses online and by also providing encouragement and promotion on social media. When the current Stay Home order is lifted, it's going to take all of us coming together to support these job providers in a dynamic and never-before-seen way. To paraphrase what Winston Churchill once stated, if we all work together, then this will be our region's finest hour.
Graphics for All to
Use in the Campaign

Linked in this email are flyers and Facebook banner images that we are asking each community and business to use in this campaign. There are 2 sets, one for the #SupportDownriver campaign, and the 2nd set for the #SupportSouthernWayneCounty campaign. Communities and members can use either set of graphics. The Shop Local banners and flyers are to be used when we reopen local enterprise in a safe and responsible way. Again, businesses will need our support more than ever to restart commerce. Further, during the Governor's Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order, we strongly believe it is equally as important to encourage and support our business community by sharing a consistent message of hope. Therefore, also included is a "#SupportDownriver" and "#SupportSouthernWayneCounty" Facebook banner that can be used during this difficult time of physical distancing and business closures with the message "This is our Moment."   We are asking all to use these banner graphics as your Facebook header image, and post on social media supporting and tagging local businesses using these graphics as often as possible (again using the first banner during the Stay Home order, and using the "Shop Local" banner as businesses are able to reopen). The Facebook banners are designed for viewing on mobile devices, but will work for the desktop version of Facebook as well.

As we look to partner with municipalities throughout our region, we hope to have the opportunity and their permission to customize versions of these graphics for each community, which will include the municipality's logo at the top alongside the SWCRC and DCC logos. The below image is a sample of the Wyandotte version of a Facebook header banner, which includes their City logo and DDA logo. We have prepared others as well as we gain their partnership on this campaign.
Messaging is critical and this is our moment to make a difference . It's our duty to come together and support our home community. Our livelihood depends on it and we hope you will do your part and join us. Stay positive and stay committed to supporting our local job providers. Thank you for your tremendous leadership and partnership, and let's work together to support Downriver in a dynamic way!

Your friends and partners,

Ron Hinrichs
President & CEO
Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber

Jim Perry
Executive Director
Downriver Community Conference