Bemidji Chamber to Speak With Gov. Walz About Reopening Local Businesses

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is hosting a call with Governor Walz this week, and the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce will be a part of that call to discuss the local business community that has been hit hard by the stay-at-home order.

The effects of COVID-19 have directly impacted everyone, but Bemidji area business owners are struggling particularly hard due to the inability to open their doors. The COVID-19 crisis has affected their livelihood and their ability to serve the community, which can inevitably endanger the local economy. The Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce is actively working with local, state and federal partners to find a safe solution for businesses to reopen their doors.

“Businesses throughout the state are preparing to fully return to work and taking steps to do so responsibly – we urge our local businesses to do the same,” said BACC Chair Ashley Johnson. “The Minnesota Chamber plans to urge the governor to continue to recognize that businesses can and have designed plans for safe work environments and we will encourage him to allow more businesses to return to work as soon as possible,” said Johnson.

The Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce is available to help their members and will be creating materials to help businesses with a plan to comply with proper COVID-19 reopening efforts. The information will be available on the Chamber’s website under the COVID-19 resource section.

“The Board of Directors know that small businesses are the backbone of our economy,” said Executive Director Abby Randall. “Our advocacy efforts continue to be our top priority. If business owners have questions or requests, we encourage them to get in touch with us. We want our weekly Roundtable discussions to help business owners to get actionable insight and information to navigate important government programs and to keep their businesses running during this unprecedented time. We also want it to be a time for peer-to-peer support.”

The Chamber is encouraging the community to continue to support locally owned businesses by ordering takeout or delivery from area restaurants or through the purchase of gift certificates or donations through the Gifts of Hope Fund. These programs are in partnership with Bemidji Alliance partners.

“We would like to thank the Steve and Jill Hill family for helping kickstart the Gifts of Hope Fund, as well as the many other sponsors and volunteers that have made this initiative possible,” said Johnson.

For more information about resources that the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce is offering, visit www.bemidji.org, and for more information regarding the Gifts of Hope Fund, visit www.bemidjialliance.org.