Portage Press: October 30, 2013

portage-chamber-portage-pressWelcome to Portage Press! The Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce hopes you enjoy our new weekly e-communication just for chamber members! Submit your newsworthy entries for FREE every Friday for our Wednesday blast to the entire membership!

Simply fill out the events form on our Contact Us page of our website. www.portageinchamber.com

In This Issue Members Reward Program Loan Promo World COPD Awarness Day Final GED Testing Date Festival of Trees & Choco-O-Lots Homeowner's Applications Annual Chamber Banquet Become a Better Breather Reading Buddies Drive Storytime! Compost Under the Tree Project ADHD Vera Bradley/Bingo Holiday Open House Caregiver Support Group Event Planning and Hospitality Industry GIVE DAY returns Ribbon Cutting 1st Source Bank New E-Mail Addresses Rise and Shine Seminars Upcoming Chamber Happenings Members Reward & Gift Certificate Program

Portage Chamber

The Portage Chamber is updating its Member Reward Program and Gift Certificate Program. Please call Nancy at the Chamber office at 762-3300 if you would like to participate or if you have any questions. Increase your business visibility through these 2 FREE programs. Loan Promo - 10/31/13 ONLY Members Advantage Credit Union ONE DAY ONLY! Apply for a loan on Thursday, October 31st and receive half off the MACU rate on your loan (with a floor rate of 1.00% A.P.R). Call 877-874-6943 for details! 6170 US Highway 6, Portage (In front of Menards) Contact Person Roxanne Cantrell Website www.macuonline.org Phone 877-874-6943 Email rcantrel@macuonline.org World COPD Awarness Day Health Fair St. Mary Medical Center Pulmonologist Guarev Kumar, MD, will discuss symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options for COPD in an informational seminar on November 11 from 14 pm at the St. Mary Medical Center Auditorium, West Entrance. Visit the educational health fair and participate in free screenings. Contact Person Jane Powers Website www.comhs.org Phone 1-866-836-3477 Email jcpowers@comhs.org

Final GED Testing Dates

Neighbor's Educational Opportunities Final GED Testing Date is Nov. 6, 2013. Beginning in January 2014, Indiana will no longer use the GED test as the official high school equivalency exam; it is switching to the TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion. For more information, contact Neighbors' Educational Opportunities at 850-4448 or visit NEO's website www.neoadulted.org. Contact Person Rebecca Reiner Email rreiner@neoadulted.org

Festival of Trees & Choco-O-Lots

American Red Cross and Kiwanis November 8 the Porter County Chapter of the American Red Cross and Valparaiso Kiwanis Sunrise Club will be hosting "Festival of Trees" and "Choco-O-Lots" again this year at the Old Town Banquet Center, 712 Calumet Ave., Valparaiso, IN. Chocolate tasting will begin at 4pm and the auction of decorated trees and wreaths as well as additional silent auction items, will begin at 5:30pm. Tickets available at 755 W. Lincolnway, Valpo. $10 per person or $20 per family, up to 5 people (2 adults and 3 children). Questions call Angie at 462-8543. Homeowner's Applications Rebuilding Together Homeowner applications for 2014 Portage Rebuilding Together are available now. Homes to be considered are to be owner-occupied and double-wide or mobile homes are considered. Eligibility requirements include applicant lives in Portage Township, have a household income of 80% of the median or less, have no outstanding real estate taxes and are unable to do the work themselves. You may get an application at South Haven and Portage Public libraries, Portage City Hall, Portage Township Trustee's office, Salon 360, and Nativity of Our Savior Church. For more information you may contact, Robin Wilkening at 219-762-1623, X22, Portage Trustee's office.

Annual Fall Dinner and Recognition Ceremony

A Salute to the Veterans and the City of Portage Portage Chamber of Commerce Invitations are in the mail for the Chamber's Fall Banquet taking place at Woodland Park on November 9 at 6:00 pm. Please RSVP for a great evening by October 31, 2013. Click here for sponsorship opportunities are available for this exclusive event. If you would like to contribute to the banquet but a sponsorship is not feasible, gift basket donations are also a great way to showcase your business. Donations can be dropped off at the Chamber office. Become a Better Breather Porter Regional Hospital Healthy lungs are a vital part of everyone's well-being. Join Pulmonologist Dr. Nikhil Madan to learn how to keep your lungs healthy and manage chronic conditions such as COPD and emphysema. 6 pm Tuesday, Nov. 5 in the Community Room at Porter Regional Hospital. To register, call 1-800-541- 1861. Contact Person Karen Keltner Website porterhealth.com Phone 219-983-8630 Email karen.keltner@porterhealth.com

Reading Buddies Drive United Way

The United Way's literacy program places new stuffed animals in the laps of 1st and 2nd graders in local elementary schools as Reading Buddies. The children read aloud everyday to their buddy to increase reading scores and motivation to read. In September over 3,000 buddies were delivered to schools throughout NWI but some of the Portage schools are on a waiting list until we can collect more stuffed animals. We invite your company to host a drive so we can begin to fill the Portage school's orders. Please complete the attached form and we will deliver posters and "I Gave a Hug" stickers to you prior to your drive. When your drive is finished we will pick up the buddies, take a photo and post on the United Way website. Click here for an application. Any questions can be directed to mackenna@unitedwaypc.org or call 219-464-3583.

Storytime Recycling District and Barnes & Noble The Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County will mark the 2013 America Recycles Day with Barnes & Noble bookstore, with a free storytime and puppet show for children 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16. Barnes & Noble is located in the Valparaiso Marketplace, 150 Silhavy Rd. Contact Person Abe Paluch Website www.ItMeansTheWorld.org Phone 219-707-8278 Email apaluch@itmeanstheworld.org

Fall Decorations/Great Compost Wast Reduction District of Porter County

We are reminding residents that all of those once-live fall decorations, such as pumpkins, gourds, leaves, mums, corn stalks, hay, etc., are accepted at either the Valparaiso compost site, 2150 W. Lincolnway, or the Boone Grove compost site, 546 South 400 West. Organic materials brought to the sites will be added to the compost windrows to create a rich soil amendment available free to Porter County residents to use in their gardens during upcoming growing seasons. Regular season hours for the Valpo site are 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Regular hours for the Boone Grove compost site, owned and operated by the district, are noon to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Under the Tree

City Point Church Do you need help this Christmas purchasing presents for your children or know someone who does? City Point Church has created the "Under The Tree" project. For more information or to apply contact www.citypoint.tv or leave a voicemail for Pastor DJ Capron at 649-1148. ADHD

Family and Youth Services Bureau The Family and Youth Services Bureau presents a Family Life Workshop on the topic "Identifying and understanding Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder". Treatment options as well as a complete overview of ADHD will be discussed on Nov. 19 from 6-7:30pm at the Family & Youth Services Bureau at 253 W. Lincolnway, Valparaiso. Please RSVP by calling 464-9585.

Vera Bradley Bingo/Holiday Open House Rittenhouse of Portage Join Rittenhouse on Saturday November 9 from 1-3pm 20 games of Bingo. Prizes will be Vera Bradley items. Tickets $20/advance;$25/door. If your not intersted in Bingo come browse the vendor booths to do some Holiday shopping. Open to the public. All proceeds are donated to Alzheimer's Associaton. Contact Person Judy Kukelka Website www.rittenhousesl.com Phone 219-764-2900 Email jkukelka@rittenhousesl.com

Caregiver Support Group Millers Senior Living Community Saturday, November 9 10 a.m. The Caregiver Support Group provides information in a supportive environment where caregivers can share problems, ideas and successful solutions. The public is invited to this FREE meeting. Refreshments will be served. This ongoing Caregiver Support Group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10AM at Miller's Senior Living Community at 5911 Lute Rd. Portage. For more information call Gwen Kiser at (219) 764-0628. NEW! Event Planning and Hospitality Industry Marketing Campaign

Portage Parks Department Portage Parks Department is looking for local businesses that provide services in the event planning and hospitality industry for a new marketing campaign. Businesses we are targeting include hotels, floral arrangements, DJs, lighting, party decorating, bars and restaurants, live entertainment, photography and printing services. If you would like us to showcase your business in a packet of materials that will be distributed to individuals and organizations renting our halls at Woodland Park give us a call. We will also post your information on our new website. There is no charge at this time for advertising with us. Please contact Lori Wilke at lwilkie@portage-in.com for more information or call 762-1675. GIVE DAY Returns Porter County Community Foundation The Porter County Community Foundation, in partnership with The Times Media Company, brings back GIVE Day on November 7. This year GIVE Day will have a different focus - it will benefit kids! Your gift will help improve literacy, healthcare, safety, and quality of life for local youth. Contact Person Carol Costakis Website www.portercountygiveday.org Phone 219.465.0294 Email info@portercountyfoundation.org Ribbon Cutting/Business After Hours 1st Source Bank First Source will showcase their newly remodeled facility at an open house on October 30 from 4:30-6:30pm with Ribbon Cutting at 5:00pm. Join us for this open to the public event. Click here for more details. New E-mail Addresses Portage Chamber of Commerce Make note of e-mail changes.... Nancy Simpson nsimpson@portageinchamber.com Mary Linoski mlinoski@portageinchamber.com Terry Hufford thufford@portageinchamber.com ALL STAFF HAVE ACCESS TO: info@portageinchamber.com

Rise and Shine Portage Seminars 1st Wed of the month Portage Chamber November 6 at 9 am. A representative from WorkOne will be speaking on the topic of Business Assistance Programs for those in the Portage Community. The event will take place at the Portage University Center on Central Ave. For more info call the Chamber office at 219-762-3300.

Upcoming Chamber Happenings

November 6th 9:00am - Rise and Shine, WorkOne presenting Business Assistance Programs at Portage University Center

November 9th 6:00 pm - Annual Awards and Recognition Banquet

November 21 11:30 am - Chamber Luncheon at Texas Roadhouse

November 28 & 29 - Chamber Office Closed

December 4 9:00 am - Rise and Shine, Scott McClure, Rhame & Elwood Estate Planning, the how and why at the IMAX Theater Conference Room

December 19 5:00-7:00 pm - Christmas Open House at the Chamber Office

December 24, 25 and January 1 - Office Closed

Help spread the word about our new email marketing benefit to Portage Chamber members. Go to Contact Us on our website and complete the Event Form to submit your entry. Entries should be in by end of business every Friday to be included on the next Wednesday's newsletter.

Thank you for continued support of the Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce.