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GFDA working to help businesses in the face of COVID-19 challenges

Posted at 9:22 AM, Mar 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-25 11:35:20-04

GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Development Authority is working to keep the community moving in the right direction as closures and restrictions due to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) continue.

GFDA employees have been working from home more than a week now, but are still working to provide resources for businesses in Great Falls.

Along with checking in with businesses, GFDA has begun offering virtual meet-ups for businesses to meet and discuss ways to keep their businesses afloat.

Although they have many resources available, Jolene Schalper with the Great Falls Development Authority also added the reason these meetups will be beneficial is that it offers businesses to to learn from each other about challenges and solutions.

She said, “We also know that we’re not the 'end all, be all’s' and that really we need to bring in other people to learn from each other. There are some cool things going on in our community with support, community support, and with businesses that are changing their business structure and adapting to where we are right now.”

She also says that the best part about working with all of these businesses, has been seeing how everyone feels, noting that we truly are all in this together.

“I have had several conversations with people that have just given me hope. Hope because we are supporting each other, because we are sharing best practices and resources. And I really just love our community and that has been my biggest takeaway from this so far. Just reinforcing that the Golden Triangle is just a great place to live and do business.”

On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. there will be a virtual meet-up focusing on downtown, and Thursday they will host a meet-up to discuss their resource providers across the Golden Triangle. If you would like more information on how to participate, you can head to the Great Falls Development Authority Facebook page.

The GFDA also has a "Crisis Toolkit" page with information and resources to help businesses - click here to visit the page.

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