By Rebecca Adcock
“The most beautiful springs are those that come after the most horrible winters!” – Mehmet Murat ildan
While we bunkered down and muddled through the winter, things are now blooming in Patrick County. The chamber has kicked off our first cohort of the PCVA Business Builders. We are encouraged by ideas and businesses that are growing in Patrick County. They “pitch” their businesses in June.
Employment continues to be in demand across many business sectors from manufacturing, tourism, retail, and transportation.
The chamber worked on cultivating and renewing relationships with organizations that assist our county. We met with Workforce Development on how to increase awareness of employer programs and how best to assist companies trying to find employees. The chamber continued discussions with GO Virginia Region 3 and the West Piedmont Planning District on the recovery efforts from COVID in our county and across the Piedmont.
Other items that kept us busy this month was hosting the Professional Headshot Day and receiving our second shipment of the County Resource guides. We are busy finishing up work on the marketing leverage grant that includes an easy map of area businesses and attractions. The bulk of the monthly work was focused on submission for three grants. These community enhancement projects focus on the downtown Stuart area and are for enhancements to the farmers’ market, pedestrian safety, and overall aesthetics. We hope to start hearing about awards in May and June.
An upcoming event in May for the Chamber is the Grant Writing Workshop. This workshop is scheduled for May 12 at 12 p.m. via Zoom. Kathleen McEvoy, grant writer with West Piedmont Planning District Commission will be leading the workshop. We hope it will encourage more county organizations to apply for grants.
The chamber and community also welcomed new member, LifeSpring Resource Center for Hope and Healing. This center is located at 220 Patrick Avenue and is an outreach of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. They will be offering classes on a wide range of topics including healthy eating, gardening and more.
