Newsletter
Please visit our COVID-19 Page which includes links to area resources for both individuals and businesses as well as a listing of area businesses hours of operation.
The Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force is charged with developing a plan and overseeing the state and private-sector actions needed to reopen New Hampshire’s economy while minimizing the adverse impact on public health.

The task force’s first remote meeting will be Wednesday,
April 22 at 4 p.m.
The public can call-in to the meeting by dialing 1-415-655-0001, then the pin: 479 750 965.
Webinar with the U.S. Department of Labor
Families First Coronavirus Response Act - Labor Law Webinar
 
Please join us  Monday April 27 th   to learn about the requirements of the FFCRA. The U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with the NH Department of Labor, is hosting a labor law webinar regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
 
The FFCRA became effective on April 1 st , 2020, and requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. The webinar will begin with a presentation followed by a Q&A session.
 
To accommodate limited capacity, there will be multiple sessions offered.
Please only sign up for one session.
 
TO REGISTER:
 please choose a link below
 
Monday April 27 th  – Session 1: -  9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Monday April 27 th  – Session 2: -  1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
 
Questions can be sent to:  InspectionDiv@dol.nh.gov  OR (603) 271-0127
 
**REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THIS EVENT WITH LOGIN DETAILS**
Financial Assistance Options
NH Nonprofit Response Fund
The NH CDFA is working with the Business Finance Authority and the NH Center for Nonprofits to create the NH Nonprofit Response Fund to help NH’s nonprofit sector respond to COVID-19. Funds to nonprofits to fund working capital, equipment and program delivery and expansion with a maximum award of $100,000 for working capital, equipment purchases and programming expenses. The NH Nonprofit Response Fund will rapidly deploy resources to community-based organizations at the front lines of the outbreak and nonprofits supporting the most vulnerable individuals and families directly impacted. The CDFA and BFA will administer loans including deferred loans to qualified nonprofits. The application  is available here . Funds will be released on a rolling basis as funds are raised, continuing throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of the crisis. More information can be found here .

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Sam Adams/Greg Hill Foundation Restaurant Strong Grants
Full time (30 hours or more, can be multiple restaurants) restaurant employees who are currently out of work are eligible to apply for the Sam Adams/Greg Hill Foundation Restaurant Strong grants. 
Qualifications:
  • Completed Application Form
  • Full-time employees (Minimum of 30 hours total per week, can be multiple restaurants)
  • Employed for 3 months or longer at the same location
  • Worked in a restaurant, bar, cafe or nightclub located in; (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont)
  • Submit the last two full-time (30 hour) pay stubs
Attention COVID-19 Impacted Organizations in the Greater Sullivan County NH Area:    At a special meeting of the Sullivan County Board of Commissioners (BOC), BOC members approved the receipt of a generous $30,000 grant award from Dartmouth-Hitchcock (Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital). Sullivan County will act as fiscal agent for these funds and is committed to an expedited release process to support community organizations struggling with new constraints due to pandemic response. These monies, under the oversight of the Greater Sullivan County COVID-19 Community Response Coalition, a newly formed multi-stakeholder group comprised of membership from numerous Sullivan county based community organizations, county and municipal governance administrators and others.
 
Initial available funds will be used to support organizations addressing 3 major areas of concern in the Greater Sullivan County service region due to COVID-19 response:
1. Access and Expansion of Technology/ Telecommuting Needs for Organizations and Schools
2. Medical Supplies for First Responders and Healthcare
3. Essential Worker
 
We are encouraging all community support organizations in need to complete a request and apply regardless if the needs requested fall outside of the major areas of concern noted above. The Community Response Coalition is working to determine the broader needs of the community to access additional funds.
If your organization has a critical need, please complete the form and scan and email it to the email on the form:  https://www.sullivancountynh.gov/…/Fillable-GSCPHN-COVID-19…
 
DONATIONS & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED !  If you would like to make a financial donation or volunteer during this time, please contact me via email or phone info below, and let us know how you’d like to help.  Thank you!
 
Sharon Callum | Administrative Assistant
County Manager & Board of Commissioners Offices
Sullivan County NH, 14 Main Street, Newport NH 03773
T. (603) 863-2560  E.  sharonjc@sullivancountynh.gov
NH BFA Loan Programs
The NH Business Finance Authority (BFA) has loan programs that support Granite State organizations.

CAP Program
Providing banks the ability to lend up to $200,000 to small businesses and non-profits across the state. CAP loans can be used for working capital, temporary needs, lines of credit, or long-term assets. These loans have rapid approval times and can be deployed in situations when banks normally could not lend.

Temporary Loans to Businesses
A direct loan program from the BFA in an amount up to $2,000,000. These loans are designed to be temporary in nature with a maximum three year term. The amortization rate is flexible, and the BFA can take a subordinate position to the bank. 

In addition to the above programs the BFA is developing new resources that will be helpful during these challenging times. Stay tuned and click  HERE  for more information on these and other programs the BFA offers.

Go eGlobal Fund

The NH Office of International Commerce invites eligible New Hampshire companies to apply for the Go eGlobal Fund, funded through the SBA STEP Grant, to help directly cover all costs towards digital strategy development in global trade.

An eligible company can apply for up to a maximum of $6,000. This is a limited time program and will be available until funds are exhausted!

Click  HERE   for more information

From our Friends at The Ink Factory
Effective March 24, 2020 the Valley Regional COVID Hotline phones,
603-542-7850, will be answered from 8a-12p. Any patient that meets the criteria for testing will be given a testing time slot between 12p-4p.
This will be 7 days per week.
DHMC is Currently Hiring
There are opportunities for people who can start working part or full-time. They are hiring  immediately  to help support three critical areas:

-        Environmental Services  (a clean, safe environment has never been more important. Gain direct experience in infection prevention and proper sanitation practices)
-        Food and Nutrition  (provide our care teams and our patients the nutrition they need to be well)
-        Facilities/Engineering  (join our team of plumbers, electricians, HVAC, mechanics, plant operators, and management)

The Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (UVLSRPC) is in the process of developing a  Regional Corridor Transportation Plan . The  Plan  will address local and regional transportation needs and issues in the Upper Valley & Lake Sunapee regions of New Hampshire. For more information, please visit:  https://www.uvlsrpc.org/projects/transportation/regional-corridor-transportation-plan /
 
To inform the development of this  Plan , UVLSRPC is currently conducting a brief survey on traveling in the NH Route 12A highway corridor:  https://transportationplan-uvlsrpc.hub.arcgis.com/ . There is also an interactive map that residents can use to mark specific locations on the roadway network where there is a transportation issue or not. There are other surveys focusing on other major highway corridors in the region (e.g., US Route 4) that residents are welcome to take as well.
 
Please contact Meghan Butts ( mbutts@uvlsrpc.org ) with any questions.
West Central Behavior Health
What We’re Doing To Help

These are unsettling times for our clients, our staff, and all of us involved in healthcare service delivery. Given our focus on mental health, our present objectives are to protect the health and safety of our staff and our clients. This means our Senior Leadership Team is meeting regularly (via videoconferencing) to assess and respond to daily changes locally, state-wide, and at the national level. Our offices remain open at this time, but staffing is reduced due to our initiative to encourage people to work from home whenever possible. Clients, please consult with your clinician or team to talk about video conferencing or phone conferencing. We are here. Please call on us.
 
Our current agency goals in this time of COVID-19 include:  
  • Use of telehealth and telephone to deliver services to clients whenever possible and as soon as possible.
  • Minimizing face-to-face contact between work colleagues and between staff and clients.
  • Working from home whenever possible to eliminate the spread of the virus.
  • Increased cleaning of our facilities.
  • Encouraging social distancing and good hygiene habits like frequent hand washing.
  • Postponing events or activities for larger group gatherings.
  • Posting regular updates on our website and on our Facebook page: @WestCentralBehavioralHealth
  • Proactively reaching out to clients who need our help and support now, more than ever.

In a time where nothing feels normal or routine, we are striving to ensure that we continue our services to clients and implement, no matter how temporary, a creative and effective means to do so. The only way for us to remain available to our clients is to ensure our own staff's physical and emotional safety. Technology and tools for telehealth are being disseminated to establish as many options as possible for remote work.

West Central staff are pulling together to maintain their steadfast commitment to our mission. It is not easy in times like these when the landscape changes daily. Yet we’re making continual adjustments to be nimble, and to react quickly as information and resources change. Above all, staying healthy while delivering essential services to our clients drives our efforts.  

How to Cope During This Stressful Time

Remain calm and know that the entire health system is working to respond and keep all of us safe.   Coping with stress and anxiety during the outbreak may be difficult. 
To learn more about how to cope with anxiety and stress, visit:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html .
 
To learn about Coronavirus symptoms and how to protect yourself, visit the CDC website at:  https://www.cdc.gov .
For continuously updated local information, visit the NH DHHS website at: 

We are all doing our best during this unprecedented and stressful time. We remain dedicated to our clients and our mission to provide mental illness and substance use disorder treatment to individuals, families, and our communities while helping to reduce the stigma associated with these conditions.

Thank you. Stay healthy. Practice social distancing. Please wash your hands often. 
Our Emergency Services crisis team is taking calls at:
1-800-564-2578
Message from the Chamber Director
Like many of you I am working remotely in order to do my part of social distancing. I can be reached by phone (603-543-1296) or email and will continue working to enhance, promote and support economic stability and growth in our community.

I invite you, individuals, businesses and organizations, to reach out to me with any questions, comments or concerns you might have. If I don't have the answers I will do my absolute best to find them for you.

In addition to standard phone service the Chamber also has Zoom video conferencing available if you'd like to connect face to face while maintaining social distancing.

While we all navigate these uncertain times lets all remember to be kind.

Elyse Crossman, Executive Director
Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce
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