Chamber Partner Update
"Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go, they merely determine where you start."
~ Nido Qubein ~
The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Council continues to provide regular updates and information for all of our newsletter subscribers and chamber partners. If you have business or community updates, events, or other informational items to share please let us know! Let's work together to keep Whitewater a great place to work, live, learn, celebrate, and grow!
Community Events & Announcements
The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce
Thanks it's 2021 Annual Sponsors!
Platinum Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Walworth County has six acting chambers, a visitors’ bureau, and an economic alliance organization that help provide support and resources to over 1,000 businesses. They all work to encourage, support and promote the businesses that they partner with, and after all that we experienced in 2020, the chamber to chamber collective agreed that a reboot would be beneficial to everyone we connect with.
 
For the month of February, the active support these organizations are offering is the challenge to care. The Take Care Challenge is a 3-part challenge focusing on Body, Mind & Heart! To care about yourself, to care about your neighbor, and to care about the community you live, work, and play in.
 
Follow along on social media to join in on activities that lean into each area of caring. This is not only an initiative to help us jumpstart our physical, mental, and emotional health, but an opportunity to share with Walworth County the resources and impact that our business partners and community organizations possess. 

Be mindful. Find joy. Believe in kindness....and take care!
If your business or local organization has a service or resource that can benefit those taking part in the Take Care Challenge, please contact Belle Carbonara at belle@visitwalworthcounty.com.
WPD Eligible for Grants from the
U.S. Department of Justice Discretionary Fund.
UW-Whitewater Motion Graphics Student Work Explains the
Electoral College

College of Arts and Communication students Lisalet Messer and Kyle Grzyb share their work
Jefferson County Farm Technology Days Scholarship Opportunity Is Announced
 
The Executive Committee of the 2019 Jefferson County Wisconsin Farm Technology Days show has announced that applications are now being accepted for their second round of student scholarships.
 
This scholarship is open to any student who is a high school senior. The applicant must be planning to attend UW Short Course, a technical college, or a four-year university and be majoring in agricultural studies. Applications will be accepted through April 1, 2021.

For any questions on the application process, please email kbroedlow@jeffersoncountywi.gov
Arts, Music & Theater
SEE THE WORLD OF BLUE THROUGH BROWN EYES
AT ROBERTA’S ART GALLERY

Blue Through Brown Eyes:
The Art of Mutope Johnson
Roberta's Art Gallery hosting
Winter Digital Photo Contest
Whitewater Arts Alliance Presents "More Than a Village"
Photo Exhibit
Chamber Partner News & Information
Winterfest 2021!
Bonfires on the Beach & S'mores
If you are headed to Lake Geneva for Winterfest this coming weekend be sure to stop down and visit the Walworth County Chambers who are hosting Bonfires on the Beach all weekend. We'll have cocoa and s'mores to enjoy. Come say hi and warm yourself up!
Help us Serve YOU Better!
We are almost done with the first month of 2021 and we see great things on the horizon for the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce and its partners. To help us serve you in the best way possible we would like to get your input and feedback. Please take five minutes to answer a few questions for us about the services, benefits, and events that we currently offer and the options we are thinking about adding. We want you to take part in how we grow!
Sign-up closes TODAY 2/1
Quarterly WACC
Partner Meeting
Wednesday, February 17th
@ 12 noon
Virtual
Happy New Year! We sure hope it is off to a great start. We wanted to drop this quick note in your inbox to remind you about the Financial Literacy resources available for you and your employees.  FCCU is extremely passionate about passing on our financial literacy expertise to not just the members of our credit union, but all members of our communities.
Free Financial Webinars
Available from the comfort of your home or office! Hear from financial professionals about a variety of topics to improve your financial wellness. These webinars will cover areas like Social Security, transitioning to retirement, 401(k) rollovers, and many more financial planning topics. 

Or, check out our FCCU Common Cents playlist on YouTube where we post videos covering topics like saving, spending, and credit. 

FCCU is here for you!
When you're ready for a guest speaker, in-person or virtually, keep us in mind! We would be more than happy to help out by presenting on budgeting, credit scores, savings, and other financial topics. Watch the video above to hear more from Jenn, Training Coordinator at FCCU.
The Whitewater Grocery Co, (GroCo) about a year ago, added a Business Membership category and they now have 24 Business Members.

One of the perks of being a business member is a free video that they put together for you. GroCo puts them on their Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube channel, and in their newsletter that goes to the 709 current members. 

All a business has to do is become a member of GroCo, an investment of a one-time fee of $150, schedule a video appointment, and the complete video is finished in 7 to 10 business days. Check out the latest video of Whiney's Wine & Craft Beer Haus. Go to their YouTube channel to view others.

What a great way to promote
local businesses!
Thanks to the generous support of loyal donors, the United Way of Walworth County is able to fulfill as promised, the second round of funding to 46 local nonprofit agencies. The total dollar amount awarded in this second round is $106,750! Added to our July awards, we have been able to grant an astounding $255,500 in less than a year. This dollar amount is above and beyond the Covid-19 emergency relief, and Emergency Food and Shelter funds.
Look who's Hiring!
Education & Training Opportunities

SBA Wisconsin is hosting coronavirus relief information webinars to assist small businesses, nonprofits, and eligible recipients in recovering from the pandemic.

Coronavirus Tax Relief for Employers & Business Owners

Paycheck Protection Program: Re-Launch

Upcoming Partner Trainings

The Freelance Economy (SBDC),

BizStart Sprint (SBDC), 6-week class, starts Feb.11, 4 pm

How to Find and Get a Small Business Grant (SCORE), Feb.19, 12 pm

Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps (SCORE), Feb. 26, 1 pm

Another resource: The Wisconsin SBDC's Navigating the New Normal: A Guide for Small Businesses, a free planning guide to help you manage the uncertainty created by the pandemic.
WEDC’s Downtown Team announces the first four topics in the 2021 Small Business Training Series!

Not only are these topics (succession planning, e-commerce, business pivot, and placemaking for business) among the most popular and frequently requested, but attendees at the webinars from communities of under 50,000 will have the opportunity to sign up for a limited number of free one-on-one sessions with experts to discuss their business in greater detail. 
The History of Magic:
From Alchemy to Witchcraft
Learn top skills to advance your career.

Top courses for professionals and entrepreneurs. Monthly start dates. The next session begins on January 13. 
  • Project Management Fundamentals
  • A to Z Grant Writing
  • Intro to Microsoft Excel 2019/365
  • Accounting Fundamentals
  • Supervision and Management Series
Fairhaven Lecture Series
Join the WMC Foundation for a virtual event that will highlight important issues facing manufacturers in 2021! 

Panelists Confirmed!
Featuring Stoughton Trailers and Mercury Marine

Complimentary registration is provided by the generous support of Riley Construction.
Entrepreneurship Education - Training Programs - Lending - Coaching - Financial Impact
Economic Development
Whitewater Community Welcomes Paquette Center for
Psychological Services
The City of Whitewater and Community Development Authority in conjunction with the Whitewater University Innovation Center and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is excited to welcome its newest business to Whitewater, The Pauquette Center for Psychological Services. Please view the attached press release to learn more about the company and how to reach out for services. 
Loans that change lives
24/7 Access to Small Business Resources
Initiate is an online business resource with over 100 interactive tools, templates, videos, and guides. Exclusively available to small businesses working with participating organizations, such as WWBIC. More details here!
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. SBA is currently offering:
To help the hardest-hit small businesses and those in underserved communities, SBA first accepted PPP loan applications from participating community financial institutions.
On Friday, Jan. 15, it will accept applications from participating small lenders and on Tuesday, Jan. 19, it will begin accepting PPP loan applications from all participating lenders.
As a reminder, you must apply for a PPP loan through a participating lender (not the SBA). Lender Match can help you find a participating PPP lender
COVID-19 Information & Updates
If you or a business you know are in need of assistance please reach out!
Jefferson County Health Department
"Stay Safe to Stay Open"
Resources for Businesses
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Issues COVID-19 Fraud Alert

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is alerting the public about fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Scammers are using telemarketing calls, text messages, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits to perpetrate COVID-19-related scams.

Although the Department of Employee Trust Funds has not received any notifications, it has been reported that individuals in Wisconsin are receiving calls and texts from scammers indicating they will send COVID-19 vaccines to you in exchange for your banking or credit card information.
Scammers are offering COVID-19 tests, HHS grants, and Medicare prescription cards in exchange for personal details, including Medicare information. These services are unapproved and illegitimate.

Here are some tips:
· Government officials will not contact you in this way or ask you for money.
· Medicare beneficiaries should be cautious of unsolicited requests for personal information.
· Do not respond to calls, voicemails, emails, texts — and don’t click hyperlinks. If you are contacted, don’t fall for it! The scammers can be very persuasive, bold, and aggressive.
· If you suspect COVID-19 health care fraud, report it immediately online or call 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).

The personal information collected by scammers can be used to fraudulently bill federal health care programs and commit medical identity theft.
Workplace outbreak guidance

The Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) have released guidance for employers related to preventing and managing COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace.
FEMA Crisis Counseling Program
WISCAP Launches Project Recovery to Assist People Impacted by COVID-19

The Wisconsin Community Action Program Association (WISCAP) is launching Project Recovery to provide outreach, crisis counseling, and support to individuals emotionally affected by COVID-19. These resources are made available by the Department of Health Services (DHS) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and in partnership with WISCAP and three community action agencies, the Social Development Commission, Community Action Coalition of South Central Wisconsin and NEWCAP.
Resilient Wisconsin - Coping and practicing resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building resilience within ourselves, our relationships, and in our community matters. Resilient Wisconsin brings together the latest evidence-based tools and trauma-informed practices.

Platinum Sponsor
Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Council
Whitewater, WI 53190
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