-Osoyoos office could see hours reduction-
OSOYOOS TIMES-April 30, 2008-
By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times
The South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce is seeking volunteers to run its Osoyoos office.
Due to a lack of funding, the chamber has been forced to lay off the managers of its Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls offices as of April 30.
There are some unfortunate things that have happened that have been costly, said chamber President Myers Bennett.
We hoped the strength of the combined chamber would allow us to receive more funding.
Bennett said some grant money the chamber was hoping for had not materialized and that the chamber has not seen funding from the Town of Osoyoos in a number of years since the money it was once given for tourism promotion now goes to the B.C. Visitor Centre and Destination Osoyoos (DO).
We've been having weekly meetings with DO towards reaching our goals, Bennett said. They're willing to help us.
While DO will be offering no financial aid, Bennett said the organization has agreed to help out by taking on some of the chamber's administrative work.
Office volunteers don't have to be experts in chamber policies, Bennett said.
The directors can take care of that.
Instead, the chamber is looking for individuals with knowledge of the community to answer phones and answer people's questions about the area's services and amenities. Bennett said one of the most vibrant chambers he's seen is in Houston, B.C. and is volunteer-run.
For the next month, the manager of the Oliver chamber will be helping to cover hours at the Osoyoos office.
Bennett said chamber hours would likely be reduced to a 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. schedule.
The chamber is seeking new members as well. With only about 100 paid members, Bennett said the chamber held a meeting at the ABC Restaurant on the morning of April 28 and that members seemed eager to go out and talk to local business people about getting involved. He said the chamber will also be planning some major fundraising events for the fall.
In the meantime, there will be another public meeting of the chamber at the ABC restaurant at 8 a.m. on May 5 for anyone who is interested.
We need your value and your input, Bennett said. Together we can make a difference.
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