UPDATED 4/4/2020
Dear CCBA Members,
As it did for so many small businesses around the country, Friday, April 3rd marked the beginning of a sense of hope and viability at the CCBA. Under the new CARES Act, we applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which will help offset payroll and utility costs for eight weeks. At the drive-through bank, I happily handed our PPP loan application to a friendly teller who was dressed like a Christmas elf in a holiday sweater with all of its sparkles and over-the-top design. I liked it. It felt completely out of place for a rainy April morning and at the same time, normalcy is out the window these days, isn’t it? Who says you can’t wear what you want in the middle of a global crisis?!
Speaking of a new normal, some of you who follow us on Facebook have joined our free Zoom workouts! We had a soft roll-out of this offering as there were a few kinks to resolve before we advertised on a larger scale. We will post a class list and links on our website and on our Facebook page in the next day or two. These classes are open to everyone. As an added layer of business and cyber-security, we ask anyone who participates to acknowledge our waiver, which will be linked to each class. The Zoom link will then be emailed to you. And, sending the link via email vs posting it widely will ideally help prevent “Zoombombing”. Our group fitness instructors deserve huge kudos for jumping in and leading virtual classes! Thank you, team!!
Like so many of you, our management team is now working remotely. We were investigating a computer hardware and software upgrade just prior to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. One reason for the upgrade was to help us hop on-board the technology revolution and use cloud-based platforms. That didn’t happen before we locked our doors, so please bear with us if our email communication is a bit slow. Remote login access is not working for all of us. If you harken back to computing circa 2009, you’ll be about where we are. And yes, we are still working on Windows 7!
We continue to pay all of our staff during this temporary shut down. If you are wondering, “How are they possibly keeping things afloat at the organization?” I have one word for you: LOANS. Wait, I have a second word: GOALS. Ok, so, “loans and goals” is the operating plan. Considering our options, I feel pretty good about it right now. I’ll keep you posted.
One of our goals is to have all of our active members fill out the Membership Preference Form we shared last week so we know what you would like us to do with your membership. So far, nearly 40% of you have continued with your monthly billing or not suspended your pre-paid membership! THANK YOU SO MUCH! If you haven’t filled out the Membership Preference Form yet, please do so here. Thanks!
Finally, I’d like to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to those of you who made additional donations to the CCBA. Every dollar helps and we are so grateful. You can click here to make a donation in any amount. Thank you!
If I were to pick up the message that the Christmas elf at the bank was putting down, I think it would be this: In this moment in time, do what makes you happy and let go of convention. Joy, family, friends, and health are what matters. Let us embrace those daily!
PS – Will you join us in showing support for front line workers by putting up a white ribbon? Tie one to a tree in your yard, hang a white bow from your door, or cut out a white paper ribbon and tape it to your window. Wouldn’t it be terrific if those on the front lines saw a huge show of gratitude on their way to and from work?
Thank you to everyone who has to go to work amidst this pandemic. We appreciate you!
Take good care,
Kerry Artman
Executive Director