December 19, 2025

Holiday Office Closure Notice

As we wrap up another wonderful year and embrace the joy of the holiday season, our office will be closed from December 24, 2025 through January 2, 2026.During this time, our team will be taking some well-deserved time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the season with loved ones.

We'll reopen and resume normal business hours at 9:00 a.m. on January 5, 2026.

Thank you for your continued support throughout the year. We look forward to serving you in the new year and wish you a warm, peaceful, and joyful holiday season!

FIRST Center Leads Regional Workforce & Recovery Employment Initiative

HUNTINGDON, PA - The Families Involved in Recovery, Support, and Transformation (FIRST Center) is leading a new regional workforce planning initiative designed to strengthen employment pipelines, support local employers, and expand access to a reliable, recovery-ready workforce across Central Pennsylvania.

The initiative, FIRST CARES (Community Access to Recovery Employment Supports), is supported through the Appalachian Regional Commission's INSPIRE 2025 planning program and is based in Huntingdon County, with reach across Bedford, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, and Mifflin counties.

FIRST CARES focuses on building a coordinated regional employment strategy that connects people in recovery with meaningful work while supporting businesses in developing Recovery-Ready Workplaces. The project emphasizes workforce participation, employee retention, peer support career pathways, and alignment between employers, training providers, and community supports.

"FIRST CARES is about strengthening our regional workforce by aligning employers, training systems, and community resources," said Karen Rush of the FIRST Center. "People in recovery are motivated, capable workers, and when employers are supported, everyone benefits including businesses, families, and the local economy."

Founded in Huntingdon in 2018, the FIRST Center has grown into a regional leader in community wellness, workforce-connected recovery supports, and employer engagement. The organization collaborates with healthcare providers, workforce agencies, educational institutions, and business leaders to reduce employment barriers and expand opportunities for sustainable work.

Local partners include the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce, Huntingdon County Planning and Development Department, Broad Top Area Medical Center, Juniata Valley Behavioral and Developmental Services, Mainstream Counseling, Juniata College, and others working at the intersection of health, workforce, and economic development. Regional and statewide partners such as CareerLink, Fulton County Family Partnership, and the Pennsylvania Peer Support Coalition extend this work across rural communities.

Through the INSPIRE planning grant, the FIRST Center will conduct a regional assessment of workforce and employment needs related to recovery, identifying opportunities for Recovery-Ready Workplace development, training and career pathways, employer partnerships and education, and coordination of transportation, housing, and employment supports to strengthen workforce participation and long-term stability.

Regional data indicated that more than 14,000 working-age adults across the five-county area are in treatment or long-term recovery from substance use disorder. Many are eager to work but face barriers that can be addressed through employer collaboration, flexible workplace practices, and community alignment.

"Recovery and workforce success go hand in hand," said Rush. "FIRST CARES is about building practical, employer-informed solutions that strengthen our labor force and our communities."

Local employers are invited to participate in the FIRST CARES planning process by sharing input, exploring Recovery-Ready Workplace practices, and helping shape a stronger regional workforce. Your voice will directly inform future workforce programs and employer supports.

For more information or to get involved:

Phone: (814) 643-8337

Website: www.first-center.org

Email: karenr.firstcenter@gmail.com

Save Big with Your Chamber Membership!

Did you know that one of the immediate benefits of Chamber membership is access to our Bulk Mailing Permit?

Here's how it saves you money:

1. Save $370 right away - no need to purchase your own annual bulk mailing permit
2. Lower postage costs when you mail using the Chamber's bulk mailing permit stamp
3. Ideal for newsletters, postcards, event invitations, and promotions

New to bulk mailing? No problem!

Our team can assist your every step of the way if you're unsure how the bulk mailing process works - from preparation to getting it mailed corectly.

This member-exclusive benefit helps your business market smarter while keeping costs down - starting day one of your membership!

Contact MacKenzie at mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com to learn more or get started using this valuable member benefit.

PA Chamber Statement on Senate Passage of Unemployment Compensation Egislation

PA Chamber

December 12, 2025

Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Alex Halper today issued the following statement after the Senate amended and passed House Bill 274, a package of reforms to the state's unemployment compensation (UC) system. "This bill takes several important steps to improve the unemployment compensation system. It strengthens protections against claimants who avoid pursuing employment, fixes a technical flaw that would have driven up system costs, and helps employers avoid tax increases when former employees qualify for benefits.' "At the same time, we are concerned about the delay of the updated benefit formula set for 2026, which was designed to make benefits fairer and ease long-term pressure on the UC Trust Fund. As discussions continue, we urge lawmakers to focus on the system's financial stability, which remains below federal solvency benchmarks even as Pennsylvania employers pay among the highest UC taxes in the country." "We appreciate the work of Senate Republicans, and especially Labor and Industry Committee Chair Devlin Robinson, to move this bipartisan unemployment compensation legislation that includes several PA Chamber priorities to improve how the system is run."

To continue reading this statement, please click here.

Want the Spotlight in 2026? Host a Business After Hours!

We're now booking Business After Hours hosts for 2026, and this is your chance to show off what makes your business shine!

Whether you're celebrating a milestone, unveiling renovations, new to the community, launching something exciting, or just proud of what you do, hosting a Business After Hours is a fun and relaxed way to welcome fellow Chamber members and the community into your space. Share your story, highlight your services, and making meaningful connections - all in one evening!

Interested in hosting? Reach out to Trinity at trinity@huntingdonchamber.com. We can't wait to celebrate your business with you!

Why Employees Don't Understand Their Benefits...And How Employers Can Fix It

For many mid-sized employers, one of the most overlooked challenges in their benefits strategy is also one of the most costly: employees simply don't understand their benefits. Studies consistently show that fewer than 40% of employees feel confident selecting or using their health plan. For smaller and mid-sized organizations where every dollar of premium matters, benefits confusion can directly translate into higher claims, lower engagement, and diminished ROI.

The root problem is not a lack of benefits options, but a lack of clarity. Employees are overwhelmed by insurance jargon, complex plan structures, and enrollment materials that feel more like legal documents than decision-making tools. As a result, many default to the same plan every year without evaluating alternatives that might save them (and the company) money.

The path forward starts with implication and education. Mid-sized employers can make a significant impact by redesigning communication around how people actually learn. This includes using plain-language explanations, visual comparisons, and short videos that break down key concepts like deductibles, HSAs, out-of-pocket maximums, and provider networks. Digital decision-support tools can help employees model costs in real time, so they can see the financial impact of their choices...not just read about it.

Equally important is year-round communication. Benefits literacy shouldn't be a once-a-year event. Quarterly micro-topics, such as preventive care reminders, urgent care vs. ER guidance, and HSA contributions strategies, keep employees engaged and avoid costly misuse of the plan.

Finally, personalized guidance can make a measurable difference. Offering short "benefits coaching sessions" during open enrollment or making HR and brokers available for talk-throughs helps employees feel supported, not overwhelmed.

When employees understand their benefits, they make smarter healthcare decisions, help control claim costs, and feel more valued. For mid-sized employers, improving benefits literacy is one of the most cost-effective, and low-cost ways to strengthen retention, culture, and financial performance.

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) 377-3536.

The Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau, Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce, Huntingdon County Business and Industry and Huntingdon County Arts Council are working together to promote "Raystaurant Week," February 21-March 1, 2026. To participate, a restaurant, food truck or caterer need not be a member or partner of any of the organizations, but must agree to participate in at least one of the theme days. Participation does not necessarily mean offering discounts, but rather featuring daily special menu items or partnering with another entity to do cross-promotion that fit the day's theme, as well as providing a check-in incentive provided through the campaign to your customers when they come to your restaurant during the week.

HCVB will be featuring paid advertisements for Raystaurant Week in The Daily News, WTAJ-TV, and on Seven Mountains Media and Quick Rock radio stations that will drive customers to a landing page on Raystown.org featuring all of the week's participants. Several of the media outlets will also offer opportunities for each participating restaurant to purchase advertisements at a cooperative discount rate to feature their own establishment.

This is the second year coordinating a restaurant week promotion, and our target market is locals and travelers within 50-100 miles of Huntingdon County. We know some of these questions might involve other members of your staff, so the form is set-up so you can come back to it and edit as needed.

If you own or represent multiple restaurant locations, please complete one form for each.

Grants available to host entertainment and more

The Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau (HCVB) Winter Tourism Stimulus Grant is designed to encourage the development of new or enhanced visitor experiences, events and targeted marketing campaigns that specifically attract tourism activity and overnight stays during the non-peak season (defined as January 1st through March 31st).

The primary goal of this grant is to diversify the county's tourism offerings and increase wintertime occupancy and visitor spending, thereby strengthening the year-round economic resilience of the hospitality sector.

Questions?

Feel free to contact any of the following get your questions answered!

Matt Price, HCVB Executive Director

mprice@raystown.org

Lissy Kinder, HCVB Director of Marketing & Digital Engagement

lissy@raystown.org

Christa McGeary, HCBI Entrepreneur Coach

cmcgeary@hcbi.com

MacKenzie Huntsman, Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce President & CEO

mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com

Interested in advertising in our enews?

Contact MacKenzie at mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com.

The cost is $25.00; $10.00 for 501(3) organizations. Yearly rates are available.

If you are hiring, please send position information to mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com or login to the member section of our website to post your jobs.

Contact Us

MacKenzie Huntsman

President/ CEO

mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com

Trinity Smith

Program Director

trinity@huntingdonchamber.com

500 Allegheny Street

Huntingdon, PA 16652

Phone: 814-643-1110

Fax: 814-643-1115

www.huntingdonchamber.com