The Pella Area Community and Economic Alliance has released their annual member report, highlighting accomplishments in 2020 and what is next this year.

Executive Director Karen Eischen says they worked to help with COVID-19 recovery after closures and the cancellation of Tulip Time significantly impacted Pella-area businesses, including the Pay it Forward Program, that incentivized 491 shoppers to spend more than $350,000 at local businesses.

She says bolstering the PellaNow App, creating a re-opening playbook for businesses, organizing summer projects, pushing a COVID-19 grant and loan program, and monitoring visitor traffic data were other ways their organization aimed to be a resource locally to their members.

Typically, the annual member report is highlighted at their membership breakfast typically held at the end of February, but that has been postponed until the spring due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Click here to read the full report and hear more about the latest with the PACE Alliance on Let’s Talk Pella.