By Molly Smith

2021 has arrived and the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce could not feel more inspired. Last year was definitely not like any other we have lived through and we broke hearts all over the community with announcements such as cancelling the Spring Folly, the Fourth of July Parade and even the Christmas Parade. Businesses are still seeing unrestful times and have no idea what the future holds. Consequently, many have gravitated to more of an online presence.

However, we are only feeling encouraged by the leaps and bounds we have made to adjust and still bring the community together virtually, socially distanced, and in spirit. Here is a review of the things we have accomplished in 2020:

Free PPE Giveaways
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners awarded businesses in the county with free PPE during times where masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves could not be found on the shelves. We teamed up with them and a few others to provide the free PPE pick up right from the Chamber- this allowed them to operate as normal and with the safety precautions needed to keep everybody safe.

COVID-19 Business Champion
In the fall, we announced that we would be recognizing local businesses that had been working hard to keep their customers and the community safe by practicing social distancing, safe masking, curbside pickups; you name it! An online form allowed the community to nominate a business that was working hard to keep everybody safe, and in return, we let everybody know on social media that they had been working hard.

Shopping Local – Think Kernersville First
The holiday season in Kernersville is always big and crucial for our local small businesses. The Chamber recently launched a Think Kernersville First campaign-a reminder to the community to remember the businesses in our area before venturing online or out of the town limits if possible. Banners lined the roads and other shopping events such as Small Business Saturday and Christmas around Downtown Kernersville were a great way for the community to show their support while knocking things off the shopping list.

Business Promotions
In addition to recognizing our businesses for working hard to keep the community safe, we also did a lot of in-house promotions to get the word out. Andrew Oliver implemented Chamber Spotlights, a one-on-one interview with a local business, large or small, to discuss what they have been doing during COVID-19 and how we can support them moving forward. All videos can be viewed on our Facebook page:
www.Facebook.com/KernersvilleChamber.

We are extremely excited to see what 2021 holds for us at the Chamber and in our Kernersville community. We encourage you to visit our website, www.KernersvilleNC.com and our Facebook page for additional information on upcoming events, networking, and ribbon cuttings for the future. Happy New Year!