PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE APRIL 13
APRIL 27
MAY 06
Chamber participates on Sen. Purdue’s town hall call
Second round of Payroll Protection Program opens.
Chamber participates in U.S. Chamber’s Big Picture: Road Map to Reopening call
Chamber participates in U.S. Chamber Policy Considerations call
Georgia reports that April tax revenues fall nearly 36% compared to April 2019
APRIL 14
APRIL 28
Stimulus Programs and Tax Implications webinar
Southern Crescent Technical College opens online courses for career development
Help for Hospitality food drive launched to support unemployed hospitality workers in Henry County APRIL 15 Stimulus Programs for Local Businesses webinar Leadership Henry concludes 2020 session with economic development, public safety presentations via teleconference APRIL 16 Setting Up an eCommerce Site webinar APRIL 17 Chamber Executive Committee meets via teleconference Chamber participates in U.S. Chamber local chamber conference call APRIL 20 Chamber, Clayton State University plan for Virtual Job Fair to support employers, job seekers Retirement & Investment Plans During COVID-19 webinar APRIL 21 CVB Board meets via teleconference. APRIL 22 Chamber Board meets via teleconference APRIL 23 Chamber hosts first Virtual After Hours Gov. Kemp provides guidance for reviving a healthy Georgia in response to COVID-19 APRIL 24 Chamber launches second survey to assess impact, community needs in preparation for recovery phase APRIL 25 Chamber April newsletter publishes details on COVID-19 business preparedness efforts
APRIL 30 Employment and Related Legal Issues Arising from COVID-19 webinar Chamber podcast supports #HenryStrong recognition of medical personnel and frontline workers
MAY 07 CVB celebrates National Travel & Tourism Week with visits to partners
Due to outpouring of support – and increasing need – the Help for Hospitality food drive is extended MAY 14 Chamber hosts second virtual After Hours event MAY 15
Chamber CEO participates with other Henry County leaders on virtual Town Hall to discuss programs, plans resulting from COVID-19 pandemic
At press time, Henry County has 615 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 77 hospitalizations and 15 deaths
MAY 04
At press time, U.S. Department of Labor announces more than 36 million jobs lost during first two months of pandemic
Chamber advocates on additional PPP relief for small business, not-for-profits
MAY 16
MAY 05
MAY 22
Henry County Schools announce valedictorians, salutatorians for class of 2020
Chamber, Clayton State host virtual job fair for Henry employers, residents
Henry County Board of Education announces May 22 graduation is rescheduled for week of June 22-26
I recently learned a term that helped put this time in perspective: Ontological shock. In its strictest sense, it is “the state of being forced to question one’s worldview.” At its simplest, it refers to the “death of certainty.”
Henry Herald publishes article on importance, benefit of tourism
MAY 01
Chamber supports “Bounce Back Henry County Buy Local Campaign”
OUR RECOVERY THROUGH ADAPTATION, COLLABORATION
CVB Board meets via teleconference
Help for Hospitality food drive concludes JUNE TBD Georgia Legislature returns to pass budget
SURVEY SAYS: seen a significant impact to their supply chain 55% Have realized a moderate to 71% Have significant impact on their business experienced more than 21% Have 80% impact to their business less than six months 56% Have financial reserves for Paycheck 60% Applied Protection Program for the Economic Injury 30% Applied Disaster Loan program those applying received 50% Ofprogram benefits
For three months, our world – local, national, and global – has experienced a death of certainty. With little warning, we are facing a novel coronavirus: a new, unknown enemy that impacted each of us. JOSEPH B. HENNING, One that saw hospital workers, first responders, delivery drivers, and IOM, CAE grocery store employees become President & CEO everyday heroes. Parents stepped Henry County Chamber of Commerce into the virtual classroom to continue their children’s education. The class of 2020 was graduated without the celebratory commencement. With that, any certainties we knew to our daily rituals (many that we had previously taken for granted) were gone. We were in shock. But with that shock, was born a resiliency. Our community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been encouraging. While frustrating and scary, local businesses have stepped up and created new strategies, new products, and new services to keep moving forward. Restaurants offered curb-side pick-up. Retailers took orders over the phone or online and shipped their products to our homes. Teachers, doctors, and other professionals quickly learned how to use technology to continue their mission to support others. We adapted. Still, many were hit hard by the crisis. Unemployment grew to numbers many of us have never seen. Supplies of masks, gloves, paper products, and even food became limited and hard to find. We collaborated. Thank you to Connecting Henry and all of our partners who worked with the Convention & Visitors Bureau and Help for Hospitality food drive. Thank you to those businesses and individuals who located PPE and sewed masks for those in the community. Thank you to our partners with Henry County Government, Henry County Schools, and each of our cities. Because there was already such a strong level of trust and collaboration between these parties, our collective response was quicker and more thorough than some regions’. We are moving away from the shock. We have witnessed our world change. We will not only survive this challenge, we will thrive. I know this because we have fine examples in Henry County of our ability to adapt. There are any number of examples of collaboration. And we are resilient. Our road to recovery won’t be easy. It won’t be swift. But we are now starting down that path, together. HENRY COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.henrycounty.com
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