South Shelby Chamber looks forward to 2016 at monthly luncheon

The future for the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce and Shelby County were topics of discussion at the chamber’s January meeting.

Casey Morris, vice-chair of development for the chamber, started the Jan. 7 luncheon by reflecting on 2015 accomplishments. He noted the community and networking events the chamber held, including events with Sheriff John Samaniego and Rep. Gary Palmer as well as raising money for scholarships.

Morris also noted the chamber’s move from Columbiana United Methodist Church to Columbiana First Baptist Church.

“I think it was a fantastic move, moving over here, to grow the chamber,” Morris said.

Along with a new year and new location, the South Shelby Chamber has also entered a new partnership with the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce. Morris said the partnership will benefit chamber members through new programs and hopes this partnership will help create a “unified voice” for Shelby County businesses.

Chris Nanni, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, discussed his group’s future plans for Shelby County.  The Community Foundation covers a five-county area and works to build upon a public endowment in order to benefit the communities they work with.

“What I have found is it isn’t that difficult to give out money,  but what’s difficult to do is give out money that is making a difference,” Nanni said. “A lot of times, $1 coming in, you can give $1 going out. But how do you make $1 coming in equal $2 or $3 going out?”

In Shelby County, Nanni said the Community Foundation has recognized multiple potential partnerships and areas that need funding. They have proactive initiatives as well, where the Community Foundation works to identify issues and then provide grants and support to improve those areas. Some Nanni listed included aging issues, workforce development, post secondary attainment, crime reduction and others.

“These are areas where we’re not just sitting back waiting on people to write grants to us, but where we’re taking more of a proactive approach to it,” Nanni said.

Nanni discussed the Community Foundation’s initiative to support the aging population. They completed a study of the five-county area, Nanni said, and found out where help was needed.

He said while 90 percent of Shelby County seniors own their home and 93 percent hope to remain in their home for as long as possible, about 20 percent will need repairs or changes to their home within five years. These repairs can range from minor fixes to installing modified fixtures in the homes.

In addition to home repairs, Nanni said there was a need to healthy food access and information distribution in the senior population. Information like what they gathered in the study can help direct their funds in addition to direct service providers to the right areas.

Gus Heard-Hughes, senior program officer for the Community Foundation, mentioned grants already implemented in Shelby County, including a partnership with Alabaster City Schools to bring food to children in need over the summer break and work with SafeHouse Shelby County through empowerment and job readiness programs.

Nanni said any non-profits or government organizations seeking a grant can apply for the first cycle now through Feb. 12. The first cycle has grants related to health and education prioritized, he said, and the second cycle will start up in August. That cycle is focused on economic security and communities.

“If you have any questions or if anything comes up, we’re very accessible, and we’d love to partner with you,” Nanni said.

The next chamber luncheon is Feb. 4 at Columbiana First Baptist Church. The luncheon is the healthcare-focused luncheon and will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.