Young Professionals Meet
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is looking to broaden opportunities for young professionals in the community by offering a Young Professionals group. According to President and CEO Bettina Hannigan it is a chance to bring individuals together that would otherwise not be connected. The social gathering is intended to expand their professional network and engage with others to build a stronger community. The inaugural meeting will be this Tuesday July 16th at the Best Western Pier Point Inn south of the Siuslaw River Bridge. Hannigan says she is hopeful that individuals from 21-45 will attend. There is an RSVP on the Chamber website at florencechamber.com under the event’s tab and then click on the calendar. It is a free event sponsored by the Florence area chamber of commerce.
Soroptimist Honored
The Florence Rotary Club recently awarded local Soroptimist and past president of the Organization Carol
Bennett with the Rotary Excellence in Service to Humanity award. Bennett has been a champion for the holiday food basket program and has devoted hundreds of hours to coordinate suppliers, transportation, community volunteers and multiple funding sources to see that families have food for the holidays. Bennett has also been instrumental in raising funds and awareness within rotary for the education and prevention of Human Trafficking in our region. Bennett was presented the award at Tuesday’s meeting of the Rotary Club.
Labor Force Grows Older
The Oregon Employment Department released information on the state of the labor force in Oregon. it shows that the workforce is decreasing as it ages throughout the state. In 1990 the average of workers over the age of 55 was one in ten. In 2023 that rose to 2.4. last year the number of Oregonian not in the labor force due to retirement was 786,000 which according to their statistics in an all-time high. That number grew 26% over the same decade. While the state is seeing a decline, it has seen a population growth of 40% between 1993 and 2023, a rate 10% higher than the US Average. The changes have tightened the workforce and made it more difficult for employers to find enough people to fill vacancies. The OED warns that if current conditions continue it might further limit Oregon’s growth.
WLEOG – Disaster preparedness
The West Lane Emergency Operations Group will conduct their annual Beat the Wave Emergency Prep Expo in the month of August. The event will be at the Florence Event Center on Saturday August 10th. the Expo will feature emergency responders and other professionals with information on how to be prepared in the case of an emergency like a tsunami, earthquake or other emergency. There will also be help in establishing a personal emergency plan and classes on emergency medical procedures with a skin suturing workshop sponsored by Peace Harbor Medical Center. There will also be a disaster cooking demonstrated by the Florence Food Share. The Expo will run from 10 am until 3pm and is free to the public.
