“Storms make trees take deeper roots”

– the incomparable Dolly Parton

 

Dear valued member of the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce,

This is just a note to say that we are thinking of you. Our hearts hurt as we witness the ripple effects of the coronavirus outbreak on our beloved Edmonds community and beyond. At the same time, we are deeply inspired by the generosity of spirit and the creativity displayed by local businesses and residents in this difficult time. And we trust that once the dust settles, Edmonds will find itself with a shared sense of purpose and stronger roots than ever.

The mission of the Edmonds Chamber is to promote the economic vitality of Edmonds through advocacy, leadership, education and community-building events. We are striving to maintain focus on this mission despite the current limitations. Here’s how:

  • Greg is closely monitoring open channels of communication with local, county, and state organizations to relay timely and relevant information and resources to our members in the hopes that this can help mitigate the negative impacts of the outbreak on businesses and employees. You can find up-to-date information on this page on our website: https://edmondschamber.com/covid-19-resources/.
  • While we can’t provide the same face-to-face networking opportunities that we usually offer in abundance, we can still manage an online platform for members to connect and share resources, services, and ideas. (Miss the comradery and educational opportunities you found at our networking breakfasts? You can tune in to our Zoom meeting at 8am each Wednesday to connect with your fellow members. Links to each meeting will be posted on our Facebook page and website by 7:45am.)
  • We continue to be active on social media (especially Facebook), sharing relevant information and posts from member businesses and organizations. If you have updates about your business that you’d like us to share, please send them our way.
  • In collaboration with the City and Ed!, we are compiling a directory of business that are offering delivery, take-out, and online purchasing options for customers.
  • We are working on expanding the capacity of the Chamber Foundation’s WISH (When Inconvenient Stuff Happens) Fund to facilitate B2B connections that will empower businesses and promote resiliency moving forward.
  • We are looking ahead to the summer and moving forward with plans to celebrate An Edmonds Kind of Fourth, Taste Edmonds, and the Edmonds Classic Car Show with a renewed sense of community and gratitude. It helps to have things to look forward to!

We’d like to hear from you about how you are faring. What are your pain points and concerns? Have you adjusted your operations, either by choice or mandate? What creative solutions have you started implementing to weather this storm? What resources or guidance are you looking for?

Though our resources as an independent non-profit with a tiny staff are limited, our desire to help is sincere. If you have suggestions for how we can further support our business and non-profit community, please let us know.

Be well. Take care. We got this!