Chamber Chat

Hello from the Chamber!







 

Happenings






Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Youth Leadership Class! 
The program will start in October and run through March. Stay tuned for recaps of each session! 

Kaolin Festival






Vendor Application Deadline Extended: 
Click here for app










 

Hurricane Helene

Citizen Resources:
 
FEMA:
Washington County is now included in the Presidential Declaration for Public and Individual Assistance.  More information to follow.
We encourage individuals to apply on https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
 
Red Cross - 1-800-redcross
 
Crisis Cleanup Hotline: 1-844-965-1386
 
Blue Roof:  888-766-3258 Will possibly assist in putting a blue tarp on your house if you have roof damage.



DEBRIS REMOVAL:
Please continue to pile your debris on the right of way for pickup.
If you must haul your debris off of your property you can dump at these site locations below:
For County residents – County Landfill – 4700 Kaolin Rd.
For residents inside of these city limits:
Sandersville – 420 Beck Blvd. (next to animal control)
Tennille – 1000 East South Central Ave. (corner of Grady Mertz rd. & E. South Central Ave)
Davisboro – 200 Josey Industrial Dr. (off of South Main St)
There are no sites in the other towns so use the County site at 4700 Kaolin Rd. for all other locations
DO NOT bring debris to the large site on Deepstep Rd. or Mayview Rd., these are for our SDR trucks only!
Thank you for your cooperation!


FEMA Personnel Working in Counties
FEMA is currently conducting Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) missions for citizens living in counties which are included in the federal disaster declaration.  These missions may be conducted by FEMA personnel going door-to-door, knocking on doors, asking if the resident(s) wishes to register for disaster assistance through FEMA.
All FEMA employees will have a government issued Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card with their photo on it.  If there are questions about the legitimacy of anyone who presents themselves as a FEMA employee, do not hesitate to contact the Lead Security Manager from FEMA.  His contact details are:
Nicholas Soriano
Supervisory Program Manager
Office of the Chief Security Officer I FEMA I DHS
(202) 436-1509
Nicholas.soriano@fema.dhs.gov
 
 
Red Cross will also be canvasing the county as well.

Business Resources
 

Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund

Click here for the application link, and eligibility requirements, for the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund (RDRF). A partnership between DoorDash and Hello Alice, restaurants, gastropubs and bakeries with brick & mortar locations that have lost revenue from a disaster may apply for $10,000 grant awards from the RDRF program. The program is accepting entries this round up December 2, 2024 at 6PM EST. To read complete terms and conditions of program, click here.      https://helloalice.com/grants/doordash/

 

From the IRS
IRS provides relief for Helene; various deadlines postponed to May 1, 2025; part or all of 7 states qualify - IR-2024-253, Oct. 1, 2024 — The Internal Revenue Service today announced disaster tax relief for all individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene, including the entire states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King has a list of resources available to help Georgians in the aftermath of Hurricane, including tips on to avoid predatory scammers.         https://oci.georgia.gov/

Farmers can contact their local US Department of Agriculture service center for information on damage recovery. Service center contact information is available on the USDA website 
 https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator
 
The Small Business Administration has disaster assistance programs for businesses, homeowners, renters, and non-profit organizations. 
www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
 
Georgia Chamber:  www.gachamber.com


Member Spotlight


 

Chamber of Commerce

Washington  County Chamber of Commerce
2025 Board of Directors 
Nominations Open 

Application & Information 
Deadline: October 25th 








 
Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter - Chamber Chat