News & Events from the Lafayette Chamber |
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Jay Lifson, Executive Director
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Virtual Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm
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March Madness Mixer!
Wednesday, March 24, 6pm, Online
March Madness is here!
We’ve seen upsets and broken brackets and most excitingly the Cinderella surprise teams emerge. Oregon State, Syracuse and Oral Roberts! Do you know who Sister Jean is? Is YOUR team still IN?
Tune in this Wednesday, March 24, 6pm to see our Chamber Member Team in action. American Realty & Investments, Assistance League, Edward Jones Financial, Green Valley CBD, HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, Hero Holds, Lamorinda Music, LPIE, Microahair Aesthetics, Mobility Matters and Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County and more! And of course, the premier of our New Members: Diablo Symphony Association, Lafayette Beauty, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), Quiltlove and SF BART.
You don’t have to understand or even like basketball to participate. We welcome all business and community members.
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Lafayette Community Foundation Excellence Grants
For more than 20 years, LCF has been awarding grants to local nonprofits that serve the needs of the community in the categories of Human Services, Seniors, Youth Development & Education and Arts & Culture.
The grant application deadline is March 31, 2021. To apply for a grant and to learn more about LCF's Excellence Grants visit
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Diablo magazine's Best of the East Bay ballot!
With 9 groups, 249 categories, and the chance to win, voting is sure to be fun for all!
Your business could be a winner. Here are the tools and tips you need to promote voting for your business:
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Thank You Renewing Members!
The following members renewed their membership March 15-21, 2021.
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Member Shout-Out: Welcome back to SCHOOL!
The following are members of the Lafayette Chamber. We thank you for your community support!
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Contra Costa Opens Vaccine Eligibility to
All Residents Ages 50 and Older
Thanks to an increase in supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Contra Costa County today is extending vaccine eligibility to all residents ages 50 and older regardless of whether they have an underlying health condition.
The move comes as the county has begun receiving additional vaccine from the federal government for its federally-qualified health centers. This federal allocation is in addition to the vaccine the county gets from the state each week.
A week ago, Contra Costa expanded eligibility to residents ages 16-64 and older with qualifying underlying health conditions. Today’s announcement removes any health-related qualifiers for those between the ages of 50-64.
To date, more than 336,000 county residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, including 96% of those age 75 and older. The county will further expand eligibility to others when vaccine supply increases more.
“COVID does not affect everyone the same,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, the County’s health officer. “Older people are more likely to suffer severe disease. Nearly all of the COVID deaths in Contra Costa have been among people over the age of 50. We are making good progress vaccinating those in the groups already eligible and will now continue to prioritize more of the most vulnerable groups in our community.”
More than 235,000 county residents are between the ages of 50-64.
“We are fortunate to have three highly effective vaccines right now,” Dr. Farnitano said. “All the health officers in the Bay Area strongly recommend getting whatever vaccine you can to protect yourself, your loved ones, and our community.”
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How Far is Contra Costa from The Orange Tier?
It is difficult to predict when Contra Costa will qualify for the orange tier of the blueprint, even if COVID-19 transmission continues to recede in the community. The State requires counties to remain in a new tier for at least three weeks after changing tiers. We are still in our first week in the Red Tier. Once a County qualifies for the next lower tier, they must remain there for at least two consecutive weeks before moving into it.
To reach the Orange Tier, Contra Costa’s must reach these milestones in its COVID-19 transmission data:
- The adjusted daily case rate must fall below 4.0 We are currently at 5.9.
- The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests in the county falls below 5%. We are currently at 2.2%.
- The positivity rate for tests in the health equity quartile is less than 5.2%. We are currently at 4.0%
The state also plans to relax the case-rate requirement for entering the orange tier from 4.0 cases per-capita daily to 6.0 cases per-capita daily, once it reaches a statewide goal of vaccinating 4 million residents in pre-identified low-income areas. Go to tier assignments to learn more.
➡ Vaccine Eligibility Expanded to Several New Groups
➡ Hope & Healing - Remembering Those Lost in Contra Costa County
➡ CA COVID-19 Rent Relief
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Local Sales Tax Increases Beginning April 1, 2021
Currently the Sales Tax in Lamorinda is as follows:
Lafayette 8.25%
Moraga 9.25%
Orinda 8.75%
In November, 2020, Contra Costa adopted a 0.5% sales tax for the next 20 years, which goes into effect on April 1, 2021. This was passed by voters with a majority vote. The county estimates the tax will raise $81 million a year for the general fund.
The new Sales Tax rates are:
Lafayette 8.75%
Moraga 9.75%
Orinda 9.75%
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2021 Federal Tax Information
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) declares tax rate schedules, tax tables, and cost-of-living adjustments for certain tax items and provisions each year.
Additionally, federal law provides for inflation adjustments to many important categories used in personal, business, and financial planning.
Check out this new digital version of the 2021 Federal Tax Information — A Reference Guide. This document provides the current information on 2021 tax-related amounts and provides direct web access to IRS references, resources, and other financial information.
If you have any questions regarding this information — or how the new 2021 amounts may benefit or impact your estate or business plans, please reach out to me to discuss, anytime. Gian Panetta at (925) 997-9239. Financial Services Professional, CA License #: 0M94545.
Tax Deadline May 17, 2021
The IRS has extended the individual 2021 tax deadline to May 17. Make sure you're getting the most out of your return by visiting https://www.irs.gov.
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City of Lafayette’s Diversity Information Night
Tuesday, March 23, 6pm
Lafayette has a multi-pronged approach to addressing systemic racism. First, all our schools are working with PTAs, parents, and students to address the issue. The Chamber of Commerce has made Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion a top priority as well. And as far as the City of Lafayette goes, the Council’s Public Safety committee, which addresses policing, will monitor progress on recommendations regarding training and reporting in the police department. City Staff has completed implicit bias training, and our Equity and Inclusion Task Force aims to address broader issues of racism in our community.
Community groups interested in working to advance equity and inclusion in Lafayette are invited to join us for a Diversity Information Night to be held this Tuesday, March 23, at 6:00 p.m. The program will be facilitated by Dr. Lynnā McPhatter-Harris, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager, who serves on both the social service practice team and the justice strategies team at Evident Change. After soliciting introductions from attending groups, Dr. McPhatter-Harris will lead the attendees in the development of shared values and visions toward the creation of an action map to a more diverse and inclusive community. Please join us for this great community event.
City Council Tri Cities Meeting
Thursday, March 25, 7pm
Presentations include:
➡ City and Town Council Introductions
➡ Senator Glazer and Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan Proposed Legislation
➡ Casey Elliott, State Capitol Director, Townsend Public Affairs Overview of American Rescue Plan Act (COVID19 Relief Funds)
➡ Updates from Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda Local Business Assistance Initiatives
➡ Updates from Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda Advanced Planning Initiatives and Major Current Development Projects
Relief Funding for Small Businesses
The City of Lafayette is proud to offer the Small Business Assistance Program to all small businesses within our community. Small business assistance webinars are held every Thursday afternoon at 4pm to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and other tips to obtain funding. There is also a Q&A panel where you can get answers to your questions live. Feel free to register for the Webinar by clicking HERE and select the date and time that works best for you. Get verified for this free service HERE.
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COVID-19 Relief for Local Employees & Small Businesses + New Bill Relief Program from MCE
MCE Bill Relief for Small Businesses
As part of MCE’s on-going COVID relief efforts, MCE is offering bill credits to help those most financially impacted. Beginning in April 2021, small business customers are eligible for a $22/month MCE Cares Credit, available for up to 9 months. Eligible customers include small businesses enrolled in A1, A1X, or B1 electricity rates. If you qualify, we encourage you to apply immediately as space is limited and enrollment is on first-come, first-served basis. Programs to lower your monthly utility bill can be found on our website: Lower Your Bill.
COVID-19 Relief for Local Employees and Households
MCE has pulled together a list of state and local resources that are available to residents and households in our service area that have been impacted by COVID-19.
COVID-19 Relief for Our Local Small Businesses
Interested in learning more about renewable energy?
Check out MCE's second article in MCE's Energy 101 series: Wind! Learn more about how wind turbines create energy, the different types of wind projects, and how much they generate. Fun fact: some newer wind turbines have blades as long as football fields!
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Celebrate National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
In these times of COVID-19 challenges, many small business owners have had to reinvent their business model. In order to stay afloat everything has had to be re-examined like business hours, products offered, and staffing levels to name a few. It's an ongoing struggle. One thing every business has to do is make it known that they are still open and what has changed. Networking is one way to get the word out. Join White Rabbit Business Solutions to celebrate National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day! Register here.
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Social Media by the Numbers - Social Media Metrics
Tuesday, March 30, 12noon, Online
Selecting the right Social Media channels for your business goals and tips on how to measure success.
What you will learn in this session:
- Tips & Tools for tracking Social Media metrics that matter.
- Using Social Media to boost your SEO.
- Using Social Media management tools to save time.
Presented by Piinch Company. Join us on March 30 at noon using this link:
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Cyber Security Presentation
Tuesday, April 6, 11am-12pm, Online
Joseph Oregon, Cybersecurity Advisor Region IX: Southern California Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will present on Cyber Security. Free! Register here. |
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J.McLaughlin Food Drive for the Monument Crisis Center!
Collection bins for non perishable food are available now through March 27. Shop J.McLaughlin's Spring Collection in store or virtually Friday & Saturday, March 26-27 and 15% will be donated to the Monument Crisis Center!
Monument Crisis Center is a community-based non-profit family resource center for Central and East Contra Costa County. Located in Concord, the Center offers nutritious food, quality resources and referrals to low-income individuals and families in order to help them become stable and secure in our community. Monument Crisis Center holds emergency food distribution open to all in need on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9am-12pm at 1990 Market St., Concord.
MOST NEEDED ITEMS include cereal, peanut butter, tuna, and canned meals (beef ravioli, canned chicken, hearty stews). Other food items that we are always in need include canned and boxed pantry items: vegetables, side dishes, fruit, macaroni and cheese, pasta, rice, beans, oatmeal, soups (canned and dry), and baby food. ALL DONATIONS MUST BE WITHIN DATE, BEST BY OR OTHERWISE.
To make a monetary contribution, text MCC to 41-444.
Thank you J.McLaughlin Lafayette for supporting our community!
3547 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA
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Medicare Seminars
If you or someone you know has questions about Medicare, our free, virtual, and educational seminars are perfect for you. We have licensed Medicare agents teaching you all the basics. Join us to get your questions answered. No cost, no obligation. No Sales. Under 1 hour. First meeting starts on April 1st, 2021. For alternate times and dates go to canopy.vanbergins.com or call (877) 833-4253
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The 10 Best Female Business Coaches That Will Help You Scale in 2021
Congratulations to Holly Jackson, certified Holistic Business Coach!
"In a highly saturated market of self-proclaimed “business gurus,” it is hard to pick the right coach to help you scale to the next level. That is why we have created our list of the 10 Best Female Business Coaches That will Help You Scale in 2021. We would like to thank the team at Authority Sharks for their research and findings in formulating this article." - Yahoo Finance, read full article here.
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Room for Rent at Lafayette Beauty
Lafayette Beauty in downtown Lafayette has an available room for rent. It would make a great space for an esthetician or someone who wants to do micro blading, lash extensions or other personal services. The rent is $750 including utilities. Contact Fereshta Popal at (510) 825-1398 for more information.
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Job Board
Are you looking for a job? See our Instagram Highlight for Lafayette Chamber businesses that are hiring!
The Lafayette Chamber has created a blog/news page specific to Employer Resources. View it here >>
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From the Lafayette Library and Learning Center |
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Make Your Own Chocolate Truffles
Monday, March 29, 2021, 6:00 – 7:30PM | ZOOM
Lafayette's own truffle making experts, Ellen Reintjes and Don Tatzin, will demonstrate how to make and decorate elegant chocolate truffles at home. Spend an evening learning the process, recipes, and tools to use. Don’t miss this delicious event!
Pick up a free Take and Make Craft At the Lafayette Library
Thursday, March 25th, or Friday, March 26th
Kids, let's experiment with two fun projects! Observe the wonders of static electricity. Observe how air affects the speed at which objects fall. For ages 3-8 while supplies last. Discover some amazing books featuring more activities, projects, and experiments with this booklist. Patrons can pick up a bag at any time on those two dates. For questions, call: 925-385-2280. |
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Please note: to signup via text you will be asked for your birthdate. This information is not stored, it is only used for verify you are over 21 years of age.
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Show Your Membership!
Would you like to include a Lafayette Chamber membership emblem on your website or other marketing materials?
The Lafayette Chamber would be happy to provide you with the appropriate logos. Simply email your request to holly@lafayettechamber.org. |
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