From the Pittsburg Camp County Chamber of Commerce

In This Issue: 

• Holiday Chamber Office Hours
• Winner of the Grinch Scavenger Hunt
• Winner of the Grinch Bingo Game
• New Chamber Board Members Named
• It’s time to renew your Chamber Membership.
• Chamber Accomplishments for 2020 Despite.
• Blood Drive Scheduled for January 12, 2021
• Barefoot Bay Marina offering advertising opportunities
• NTCC offers free GED/ESL, Classes
• Last Newsletter for 2020
• The punch line 

The Chamber office will be closed 

from December 24, 2020, to January 4, 2021

During December, many of our merchants and residents played two Grinch games, Grinch Bingo and a Grinch Scavenger Hunt.  We want to say thank you to the participating businesses and to those who played. 

The winners are

 Grinch Bingo 

Hunter Calverley

Grinch Scavenger Hunt

Lauri Abernathy with daughters, Marissa and Lilly

Each winner received a basket filled with gift cards and goodies provided by our local participating merchants.

It’s time to renew your Chamber Membership for 2021.

If you did not receive a renewal packet in the mail last week, you can download one at http://pittsburgcampcountychamber.com/ or call the site at 903-856-3442. We will mail you one or deliver one to your business. Membership in the chamber is not just for businesses. Individuals can be members as well. It’s a great way to support the community and be in the “know” about what’s happening in Camp County and Pittsburg. 

Chamber Accomplishments for 2020 Despite 

Pittsburg-Camp County Chamber of Commerce has continued to support and promote our member businesses and our community as a whole despite the national pandemic.

• Here’s a highlight of projects we’ve taken on over the past year: In January, the Chamber hosted a free seminar, “Bulletproofing Your Business – Close More Business by Growing Sales & Customer Service Skills”. Chamber member Mark Levy, owner of Revenue Development Resources gave an outstanding presentation designed to help local businesses against the online giant and competitors such as Amazon.
• The Chamber was excited to host the first meeting of the “Chamber Links.” A group of volunteers with a passion for serving the Chamber, community, our town, and its people, in a nutshell, linking the Chamber to the community. Over 20 individuals have signed up to be Links.
• The Chamber initiated a “Not A Number But A Neighbor” Covid educational campaign. Executive Director, Christine Jackson, interviewed local health professionals about the effects of Covid in Camp County.
• During the stay-at-home orders this spring, the Chamber initiated a communitywide Virtual Easter Egg Hunt. Families could leave their homes and search for colored eggs in the windows of homes and businesses. Hundreds of families enjoyed their virtual hunt, which allowed them to get out of their house while still practicing social distancing. 
• The Chamber developed a “Taste of Pittsburg” Facebook page, a one-stop-shop featuring local restaurant hours, carryout/delivery options, and special family-pack menus.
• Throughout the year, the Chamber has highlighted local businesses with a “Shop Local, Shop Pittsburg” campaign.
• The Chamber was pleased to welcome 25 new members and hosted 12 ribbon cuttings during the year.
• The community rallied and raised funds to host another fantastic fireworks show on July 4th at Broach Park.
• When the Chamber learned that the 20th Century Club would not decorate Pendergrass Park with their usual Christmas display, they partnered with the Pittsburg Main Street Board to create a beautiful light display, perfect for taking family Christmas photos. The Chamber also developed a “The Grinch Won’t Ruin Pittsburg’s Christmas” campaign and set a communitywide Grinch Scavenger Hunt and Grinch Bingo. Winners received a merchant gift basket and a Grinch Lovers basket.

LAST Newsletter for 2020!

As 2021 approaches, you are, probably like us, ready to see 2020 in your rear-view mirror. It has been a rough year. And it’s been a year unlike any we have ever seen before. In March, President Trump issued a stay home order for the whole county, and they asked us to close up our shops and stay home. That shut down resulted in many businesses having to lay off employees and staff members. Many of you began working from home while you homeschooled your children at the same time. They canceled all community events and festivals for the year, and churches closed their doors. Local businesses and our community lost thousands of dollars. Many in our community worked long and arduous hours in our hospitals and doctor offices on the front lines. And worst of all, many of you lost loved ones to a force that we could not see. 

But, from ashes came beauty. We saw the Pittsburg spirit rise and stand firm. Businesses and organizations had to figure out new and creative ways to do business. Many of our local restaurants, though understaffed, created easy drive-thru and carry-out menus so we could enjoy our local fare at home. Main Street shops learned how to sell their items online and provide curbside pickup service. We saw many individuals sharing toilet paper and paper towels when we could find none in the stores. We saw people giving generous tips to the grocery sacker who were working long and stressful hours. Nursing home staff began pulling double and triple duty and getting creative to keep their residents safe and happy. Churches learned how to do worship via Facebook or drive-in style.

Like you, the Chamber has had to figure out new ways to do business and new ways to safely and effectively support the community. As we continue to navigate these new challenges, know, WE ARE STILL HERE, and we are standing firm in that Pittsburg spirit with your business and our community at the forefront of our minds. We will continue focusing on our mission of providing unparalleled support for our members now and in the future. 

In March of 2021, the Pittsburg-Camp County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 75th year of serving our community and local businesses. And so, on behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, and the entire membership, we would like to say “Thank You” for hanging in there with us through the thick and thin and for being a valuable member of the Pittsburg-Camp County Chamber of Commerce.

See you in 2021!

 

Answer…” It’s Christmas Eve”

Merry Christmas Everyone