By Paula Scott

Have you ever served breakfast for 50 at 7:00 a.m. on a Friday morning? It’s all part of the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce routine on the second Friday of the month from September-June.

This April, director Jim Enneking got a hand with the member meeting from sponsor Northwest Ohio Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, caterer Greenhorn Restaurant and program provider Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD).

Chamber announcements included:

• Introducing new member Joe Gilroy, the new owner-editor of the Bluffton News
• The Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs information series has wrapped up
• The Farmers Market will open on Saturday, May 6 (next to Citizens National Bank on Main)
• The June 3 Arts & Crafts Festival is back under chamber oversight with Katelyn Gainok continuing as the event coordinator; location is along Riley Creek
• Bluffton Lions' July 15 Ride to Remember registration is underway
• Watch for a June Business After Hours, possibly at 1861 Wine Lounge
• A September chamber golf classic is in the works
• Request for members to complete the online business survey

The event is also an opportunity for members to share their announcements with other guests, which included:

• Jesse Blackburn review details of the Village road and utility construction season 
• Tony Jacomet introduced a new tai chi program at Jacomet’s Martial Arts
• Dan Klear of Superior Energy Solutions reviewed current grants and tax incentives for solar energy projects

The main event of the morning was a presentation by Michelle Steinke MRC, CRC, Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor for the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation-Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired. Steinke provided chamber members with an overview of how the bureaus help prepare individuals with acquired or congenital disabilities for jobs and provide resources for employers.

She explained the agency assists a wide range of individuals from high school students to those with age related disabilities. For example, Steinke noted that hearing aids are among the assistive devices that can help keep an individual in their job. She said the installation of a ramp at a workplace is an example of how the agency might support an employer.

While Steinke works for the Allen County office, the OOD is a state agency serving all Ohioans. Information about the agency including the following can be found at https://ood.ohio.gov/

• What is OOD?
• Information For Individuals
• Information For Providers
• Information For Employers
• Laws, Rules & Policies

The OOD is a federally-mandated program through the U.S. Department of Education but is a state workforce development agency.

Have a program to request? Want to sponsor a breakfast? Ready to join the chamber? Email Jim Enneking at [email protected]