Chamber of Commerce keeps community connected during pandemic

WEST CHESTER » With the COVID-19 outbreak leaving an enormous impact on daily lives across the region, the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) looks back on everything it’s done, and will continue to do, to support their members and community during this crisis.

In the first week of the county-wide shutdown, GWCC added a COVID-19 page to their website. This page houses business resources and coronavirus information at local, state, and federal levels, and it is updated daily as news and changes occur. The Chamber also created the Virtual Tip Jar to support local service industry employees, who earn their living on gratuities – one of the most heavily impacted industries during the shutdown. More than 480 people participated.

Just a few weeks into the shutdown, GWCC recognized the need for a morale boost within the greater West Chester region and launched the “Closed But Still Awesome” sign program. The signs were designed for local businesses, forced to close due to the pandemic, to let their customers know that they were closed, but they would be back soon. The campaign was even picked up by NBC10, and several West Chester storefronts were prominently featured in the segment.

GWCC moved its events online to keep the community educated and connected. Programs included Virtual Office Hours by assembling a team of local experts to help Chamber members navigate the crisis. The organization also sent a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf advocating to move Chester County to move to the yellow phase.

“The Chamber staff and board of directors have been working and continue to work tirelessly to support the greater West Chester region in this unprecedented and still-uncertain time. We will continue to be a valuable resource for our members and a strong and influential voice for the business community,” said Dave Fairman, Interim President of GWCC.

For more information on what the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce is doing for the region, please call 610-6964046 or visit GreaterWestChester.com.