Los Alamos Schools Credit Union CEO/President Matt Schmidt holds up the credit union’s Financial Institution Business of the Year Award presented by Chamber Director Ryn Herrmann. Courtesy/Chamber

By RYN HERRMANN
Los Alamos Chamber Director

As our county vaccination rate continues to climb and the state begins to open up, we have cause to celebrate and continue to show our support for our small businesses. Please join us for ChamberFest, June 1-5.

We encourage you to support our small businesses in person or from the comfort of your home. Visit the ChamberFest Virtual Street Fair, sponsored by Enterprise Bank & Trust, to see what Chamber member businesses are up to & for a chance to WIN CASH and help your favorite business WIN CASH, too!

Visit Virtual Street Fair
Go to the LosAlamosChamber.com Virtual Street Fair page and visit each “booth” including the list of businesses offering gifts for Dads, Grads, Teachers & gift cards! Note that the webpage will be live on June 1.

Shop, Snap & Share
Tuesday, June 1 through Saturday, June 5 SHOP at Chamber businesses or restaurants or shop online. SNAP a selfie showing the business or the logo while there, then SHARE post your photos with the hashtag #LosAlamosChamberFest on FaceBook.

Enjoy the Concert
Enjoy the online Los Alamos Summer Concert Series hosted by ChamberFest on Friday, June 4 Featuring: Ozomatli. Details coming soon!

Win!
Winners will be announced on Monday, June 7. The 2 businesses who get the most hashtags win $500 each and 10 shoppers will each win $100 in a random drawing.

As throughout the pandemic, the Chamber continues to sift through news sources and shares vital information to businesses, providing timely access to funding opportunities and assistance programs. Aside from the benefits of being a Chamber member, the Chamber has provided exclusive access to many speakers with the most up-to-date information on many timely topics during this quickly changing environment.

Following is a list of other activities the Chamber, MainStreet and LACDC have undertaken to help the business community during COVID:

• Weekly email updates via Chamber “Monday Messages”
• Curated LA Business Status List to help local businesses communicate their status and offerings
• Curated list of restaurants open during COVID-19 shutdown
• Organized fund for community donations to assist 7 businesses broken into and vandalized on 3/28/20 and distributed funds
• Developed Summer Chamber Check promotion to give away Chamber Checks for shopping locally, with extra incentive for shopping on DP Road during construction
• Emailed pertinent and timely updates multiple times per week, including grant & funding opportunities, press releases, webinars, contacts, comparisons of funding charts, public health orders, surveys, etc.
• Developed video campaign to promote local businesses who have a presence on the state’s buyNMLocal.com site which promotes businesses that sell gift cards to help them get through the closures. Garnered funding from LANL and worked with PAC8 to develop three videos featuring 15 local businesses.
• Compiled list of open summer camp & day care programs
• Scheduled speakers for LA business community
• Guided restaurants with permitting process to create outside dining venues
• Assisted Pajarito Mountain and Mountain Capital Partners with granting funds to assist struggling restaurants
• Maintained list of COVID-related business resources on websites
• Assisted Central Park Square with distributing funds as an incentive to shop locally
• Promoted national, state & county initiatives to assist businesses
• Secured masks from Department of Homeland Security and distributed to local businesses & organizations
• Assisted RDC with distributing emergency funding
• Wrote letters of support needed by businesses when applying for grants
• Purchased and donated 30 touch-less thermometers to LAPS and 3 to UNM-LA
• Donated $2,000 in Chamber Checks to the Summer Chamber Check promotion to incentivize shopping local
• Donated $500 in Chamber Checks to LAPS for teachers
• Purchased PPE (masks, gloves, hand sanitizer & cleaner) to donate businesses & organizations
• Created a relocation website for Los Alamos

We all know the precautions taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have brought unprecedented challenges to businesses and employers in Los Alamos. Some of our small business located on DP Road and at the Hilltop Shopping Center on Arkansas Avenue also have had the additional challenge of ongoing construction. I encourage you to please continue to support all of our local businesses, especially ones located near construction!

One way to support small businesses is to purchase Chamber Checks. They make great gifts for dads, grads and teachers! Recipients can choose from over 50 businesses to spend them at and pick a gift they want and need. To pre-order Chamber Checks, contact ufemia@losalamos.org.

If you know of new or prospective residents, please share the new Los Alamos relocation website: DiscoverLosAlamos.com and let them know about the monthly Newcomer Mixers that are virtual but hopefully will go back to happening again soon at project Y Cowork Los Alamos in Central Park Square.

The Chamber has been working hard to keep the most important information available in front members. Please let us know how else the Chamber can assist you. The Chamber is here for you.