Time is running out for Back to Business Grant funding
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Resume McHenry County Update!
Through our collaboration with McHenry County, we will continue to share important information on stimulus programs, COVID-19 updates, and where the county is opening up through Resume McHenry County Updates.
Please take a moment to scroll down to see new advancements this week as more and more are opening up in McHenry County. If MCEDC can be of any help, please call. Forward this email to your friends and family to help get the word out!
Annual MCC Job Fair set for October 20th
If you’re looking for a job or know someone who is, McHenry County College’s upcoming Job and Internship Fair is the place to be.
More than 60 area employers (you can find a PDF list here) plan to attend the fair, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the college at 8900 US Route 14, in Crystal Lake. Whether you’re seeking full-time or part-time work, or an internship, dress to impress and bring copies of your resume (and a mask to comply with COVID-19 restrictions)!
The event is free, but attendees must register in advance online – you can do so by clicking here. Organizers are also encouraging attendees to create a free account on the MCC Hire a Scot job website, which you can find here.
Hire a Scot is a great year-round resource to connect McHenry County job seekers with employers. Another great (and free!) job website is Illinois Job Link website at illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov. If you need resume help or assistance in polishing your job skills, a great place to start is the McHenry County Workforce Network at www.mchenrycountyworkforce.com.
The upcoming MCC Job and Internship Fair is one of several ways that the college, in partnership with the county’s Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, is honoring Manufacturing Month in Illinois.
Illinois is home to 18,000 manufacturers that employ more than 550,000 people. A glance at the McHenry County Economic Development Corp.’s list of top county employers reveals how integral manufacturers are to the county economy.
The Consortium is a collaborative initiative that brings together local manufacturers, educators and community partners to ensure that manufacturers have a steady pipeline of talented workers. You can learn more about the consortium by visiting their website, and you can click here for a list of consortium events and workshops throughout Manufacturing Month.
You can read the governor’s proclamation honoring Manufacturing Month 2021 by clicking here.
Tune in to the Fall Color Report
Don’t let the 70-degree temperatures fool you – fall is falling, which means McHenry County’s trees are becoming a beautiful palette of reds, yellows, oranges and browns.
If nature’s color scheme is vital to your autumn weekend getaway, your family agritourism excursion, or that fall foliage selfie you just have to have, our friends at Enjoy Illinois have created a Fall Color Report to help tourists and selfie-seekers plan based on the optimal color peaks in four state regions.
McHenry County and Chicagoland, and Illinois along the Mississippi River, should be entering their peak color times starting this week, with central and southern Illinois to follow through October. Clicking on each region provides more information, including prime locations to enjoy them, such as Starved Rock State Park and Morton Arboretum.
Back to Business Grant deadline is tomorrow
If you own a business that lost money as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you have until midnight tomorrow night to apply for Illinois Back to Business Grant funding.
The $250-million grant program offers funds to small businesses to help offset COVID-19-related losses and bring back workers. Awards range from between $5,000 and $150,000 per business and can be spent to cover a wide range of costs, from operations and staff to overhead.
About $100 million of the grant funding is reserved for businesses located in areas determined to have been disproportionately impacted, which in McHenry County includes the ZIP codes for Harvard (60033) and Richmond (60071).
Most of the remaining funding is targeted at businesses that did not receive previous federal and state assistance. About $30 million is set aside for arts and entertainment venues that did not receive SBA Shuttered Venue Operator Grants, and $25 million apiece is set aside for restaurants and taverns that did not get SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grants and businesses that did not get state Business Interruption Grant funding because the funds were exhausted.
Read all about it in Visit McHenry County’s e-newsletter
There are still plenty of fall activities left – apples to pick, pumpkins to carve, and crop mazes to navigate – before the freeze comes.
Visit McHenry County’s monthly newsletter, The Insider has a rundown of its amazing Autumn Bucket List. You can click here to read the October edition and sign up for future editions to keep up on awesome places to play, dine, and be merry.
Their newsletter is just a start! You can visit their website at www.visitmchenrycounty.com, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to learn about our many local events, activities, and locally owned businesses.
Visit McHenry County also has an app that you can download from Google Play here, and from the Apple App Store here.
Thank you to Instagram user @agiscutecollections for the colorful (and mouthwatering) photo!
Woodstock Wine Walk takes to the Square this Saturday
With the lifting of COVID-19 capacity restrictions earlier this year, Resume McHenry County is featuring the return of its iconic attractions, and the founding of new ones.
With the lifting of COVID-19 capacity restrictions earlier this year, Resume McHenry County is featuring the return of its iconic attractions, and the founding of new ones.
Walking is good for your heart. So is red wine. So why not put both together?
If light cardio and antioxidants (in moderation, of course) sounds like your thing, click here to buy a ticket for the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual Wine Walk. The event, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, includes 32 wine tastings at 16 unique locations on and around the historic Square. While the VIP tickets are sold out, there are still general admission tickets available.
By the way, Saturday also happens to be Sweetest Day, so grab your sweetheart and take a wine stroll!
We hope we got your attention. We need your help reaching more McHenry County residents and businesses to share this important information about the COVID-19 response and connect them with vital resources.
Please take these four steps:
1. Share/forward to your email/newsletter contacts.
2. Post information to your website.
3. Follow us on social media (see below); share our posts with your followers.
4. If you are not on the McHenry County Constant Contact list, please subscribe here
Follow McHenry County Government On Social Media
Staying connected and informed is more important now than ever! Follow McHenry County on social media for regular updates on COVID-19 in our region, resources to help you navigate the pandemic, safety tips and more!
Resume McHenry County is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenry County and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenry County community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents. The goal is to ensure a successful reopening of our economy so that we can return to our lifestyles safely and responsibly.
