 Issue Number: 2020-17Inside This Issue 1. IRS highlights online resources during Small Business Week; including resources available in multiple languages In support of National Small Business Week – Sept. 22 to 24 – the Internal Revenue Service is emphasizing the many IRS online resources available to help small business owners and self-employed individuals handle the tax aspects of their business. The IRS has a long history of providing resources in Spanish and also provides products in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian and Haitian-Creole, such as the Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center. To help more people, the IRS is translating other tax resources into more languages. In the meantime, the IRS is offering basic tax information in 20 languages, including a section on filing for a business. Back to top 2. Three employer credits available that grant relief to businesses The Internal Revenue Service reminds business owners and self-employed individuals of three employer credits available to them during COVID-19. During Small Business Week, the IRS wants to ensure all eligible people know about the relief these credits provide. The Employee Retention Credit is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19. The Paid Family Leave and Sick Leave Credit is designed to allow business to get a credit for an employee who is unable to work (including telework) because of Coronavirus quarantine, self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis. Employees are also entitled to paid family and medical leave equal to 2/3 of the employee's regular pay, up to $200 per day and $10,000 in total. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted towards the Family Leave Credit. Back to top 3. Reminder: Taxpayers may be eligible for the home office deduction The IRS is reminding individuals to consider taking the home office deduction if they qualify. The home office deduction is available to qualifying self-employed taxpayers, independent contractors and those working in the gig economy. However, employees who receive a paycheck or a Form W-2 exclusively from an employer are not eligible for the deduction, even if they are currently working from home. There are two basic requirements to qualify for the deduction. The taxpayer needs to use a portion of the home exclusively for conducting business on a regular basis and the home must be the taxpayer’s principal place of business. Additional information on the home office deduction can be found in IRS Publication 587, Business Use of Home (Including Use by Daycare Providers) or Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home. Back to top 4. Tips for people starting a new business Understanding the tax responsibilities when starting a new business can save taxpayers money and help set them up for success. IRS.gov has the resources and answers to help people through the process of starting a new business. Finding resources for choosing a business structure, tax year and applying for an EIN can easily be found on IRS.gov. Back to top
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 We are here to help. The Iowa Department of Human Rights (DHR) brings strength to Iowa's rich heritage. Our three divisions - Community Action Agencies, Community Advocacy and Services, and Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning - work to reduce cultural, social, and economic barriers to opportunities for Iowans to succeed. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Programs Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs for the winter heating season.The assistance is based on household income, household size, type of fuel, and type of housing. View eligibility guidelines. The program will accept applications beginning October 1, 2020, for households who have a member that is at least 60 years of age, or disabled, or where disconnection is imminent. All others may apply beginning November 1, 2020. The last day to apply is April 30, 2021. Applications are taken at your local community action agency. Anyone facing disconnection at any time should contact their local community action agency for assistance. To find your local agency, you may call 2-1-1, visit https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa/where-apply, or contact: LIHEAP Iowa Department of Human Rights 321 E. 12th St. Des Moines, IA 50319 (515) 242-5655 or 1-800-351-4659 Please note that Operation: New View Community Action Agency in Dubuque, Iowa, will no longer provide services after September 30, 2020. Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) in Hiawatha, Iowa, will expand its services to include the counties of Dubuque, Delaware, and Jackson. An applicant may initiate an appeal if the application was denied, or incorrect facts or improper procedures were used to determine eligibility, assistance amounts, or services. For more information on appeal and hearing procedure in multiple languages, visit Appeal & Hearing Procedure. Weatherization Assistance Program Households applying for LIHEAP will also be applying for the Weatherization Assistance Program. Weatherization is a federal grant program established to help reduce the heating and cooling costs for low income persons, particularly the elderly, disabled, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of their homes, thereby reducing the households’ energy bills. The program also improves the health and safety of low-income homes.
Mental Health Videos The Iowa Department of Human Rights, in collaboration with Mosaic Family Counseling, developed a five-part video series focused on mental health and wellness for service providers. Topics include trauma, understanding emotions, crisis intervention, suicide, and self care. Videos can be viewed DHR's Facebook. Time is Running Out-Respond to the Census Today The Census count will end September 31. While the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters presented significant challenges, there are easy ways to respond and be counted -- online at 2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020, or completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire. Census takers will visit households that have not responded. Your response will shape the results of the 2020 Census official count that determines how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. Census data affects funding for critical programs such as infrastructure, education, hospitals, child abuse prevention, housing, and responses to natural disasters.
September is National Service Dog Month September is National Service Dog Month, and we honor service animals and emotional support animals for assisting people with disabilities be successful in work life and everyday life. Dogs perform many important tasks, such as helping blind and visually impaired individuals navigate their environments, providing stability for a person who has balance issues, picking up items for a person who uses a wheelchair, alerting a person who has hearing loss to important sounds, or signaling the onset of a medical issue such as a seizure. If you are interested in learning more, here is some guidance:
Disaster Recovery Resources FEMA makes assistance available to public entities in 7 additional counties and the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made assistance available to public entities and nonprofits in seven additional counties as well as the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa that were impacted by the August 10 derecho. Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hardin, Iowa, Jackson, and Washington counties have been added to a Presidential Disaster Declaration issued by President Trump on August 17, 2020, which made public entities and select nonprofits in 16 counties eligible to apply for the federal Public Assistance Program. The 16 counties that were approved for Public Assistance funding in the August 17 declaration are: Benton, Boone, Cedar, Clinton, Dallas, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama. The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa received a separate Presidential Disaster Declaration from President Trump on September 10, which made the tribe eligible to apply for the federal Public Assistance Program. Public Assistance funding may be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. Did you know that the Iowa Department of Human Rights has an Office of Native American Affairs? The Office advocates for and serves the needs of Native Americans to participate fully in the economic, social and cultural life of the state. State Disaster Recovery Website The state has a website dedicated to news, information, and resources related to the August 10, 2020, derecho. The website includes resources related to agriculture and business; federal, state, and local assistance; donation and volunteer opportunities; food and shelter; and mental health resources. Visit https://disasterrecovery.iowa.gov. DHS Disaster Assistance Governor Kim Reynolds issued disaster proclamations for a number of counties affected by the derecho storm. Visit the Iowa Department of Human Services' website regarding details and deadlines for food assistance programs, Iowa Individual Disaster Assistance Grant Program, Iowa Disaster Case Management, and Disaster Behavioral Health Response. Note that if a presidential major disaster declaration for Individual Assistance is issued for a county for the same event, the state program is automatically canceled for that county, as the FEMA Individual Assistance program then goes into effect. Community Action Agencies Many community action agencies offer assistance such as food banks, food delivery initiatives, clothing, diapers, and other emergency and disaster relief needs. There is a network of 17 community action agencies that serves all of Iowa's 99 counties. To find a community action agency near you, visit the Iowa Department of Human Rights' website. 211 Help Line 211 provides support, resources, and referrals in the event of a disaster. Iowans may call 2-1-1 or 1-800-244-743, or visit https://www.211iowa.org to be connected to the help they need. For the English Language Learner Help Line, call 1-877-558-2609. For deaf and hard-of-hearing Iowans, dial 7-1-1 first for the Telecommunications Relay Service to reach the 2-1-1 hotline. Legal Assistance Derecho Legal Hotline 1-877-469-2259 M-F, 9am-4pm Victims of the August 10, 2020, derecho in Benton, Boone, Cedar, Jasper, Linn, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama Counties who are experiencing legal problems due to the storm can get free legal advice through the hotline. Issues may include FEMA denials, insurance problems, landlord/tenant issues, unemployment benefits denials, employment issues, contractor issues, or identity theft. Callers may leave a message, and a Legal Aid staff member will return their call. Iowa Legal Aid 1-800-432-1275 Iowa Legal Aid helps low-income and senior Iowans with civil legal problems, including disaster related issues such as landlord tenant, government benefits, and insurance. Iowa Attorney General's Office 1-888-777-4590 Complaints about price gouging and other issues related to the storm clean up can filed with the Iowa Attorney General's Office. Their office also put together a checklist for important things to consider, such as hiring a contractor and what may be scams. COVID-19 Legal Advice Hotline 1-800-332-0419 Iowans experiencing legal issues related to COVID-19, such as eviction, denial of unemployment benefits, employment issues or identity theft may call the hotline. Callers can leave a message, and a representative will call them back. COVID-19 Language Resources American Sign Language Videos-CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-Resources for Limited English Proficient Populations Congolese Health Partnership Videos Coronavirus, State Website Crescent Community Health Center-Marshallese Language EMBARC Ethnic Minorities of Burma and Advocacy and Resource Center Hawaii Office of Language Access-Youtube Iowa Department of Human Rights-Language Access Iowa Department of Public Health Iowa Spanish Helpline 515-344-3936 Multi-Lingual Hotline 1-877-558-2609 Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa Iowa Department of Human Rights Lucas State Office Building 321 E 12th Street Des Moines, IA 50319 515-242-5640 or 1-800-351-4659 Contact Us Form Fairfield First Fridays Celebrates Oktoberfest with Online Activities and Streaming Live Music9/24/2020 Fairfield First Fridays Oktoberfest Friday, October 2nd, 2020 While normally there would be music, vendors, wiener dog races and more in Central Park, the activities for this year will be online for the October 2nd Oktoberfest event. The Wiener dog races have been postponed and will hopefully be able to be held at a later date. The champion from last year needs to be able to defend their title! This year since we are not able to hold the races at this time, we will be holding a Wiener/Wiener Wannabe photo contest. Send in your best picture of your beautiful dog, whether wiener or wiener wanna be, and be entered to win prizes! Send us those photos! The winner will be picked by the number of likes for each picture. Make sure you have your friends like the photos! Get the pictures in early! We will create an album for the participants. We will have a German recipe contest! Usually we have a German Chocolate Cake contest, this year, because we are not able to get together for this event, we are asking you to send in your best German recipes. Feel free to include pictures! Sending us your recipe will enter you into a drawing for prizes! For the younger (or young at heart) Oktoberfest participants, we have created a few coloring pages. You can print them off or pick them up at Community 1st Credit Union. Color them, or decorate them in any way you would like and send us a picture of your art work to be entered into a drawing to win some great prizes. You can also drop them off at Community 1st Credit Union and they will put them on display! Link for coloring pages. The band, The Boys, will be streaming a live performance from 7 to 8:30 on Friday October 2nd ,of their original music for all to enjoy. A link to watch the live performance will be posted on our website and social media pages. If you have heard the band before you know they always put on a great show, if you have not heard them before you are in for a treat! We would like to thank Community 1st Credit Union for their sponsorship, many years of continued support and ideas for this annual event! We would also like to thank the Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau for their continued support with each of our monthly events. Get to coloring, digging through those recipes and snapping pictures of those pooches! https://drive.google.com/drive/u/7/folders/1p5emGEo2z3JMrCSsD7VY8yr4CaiIDx8v Link for coloring pages If you would like to submit a wiener/wiener wanna be photo, a German recipe or would like to send a photo of your coloring page please email us at fairfieldartwalk@gmail.com . If you have any questions, please text or call 641 233 8883. Please submit everything by Wednesday, September 30th!  Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Visit with Summit Pharmacy, September 2020 Bryan Vander Linden is the owner of Summit Pharmacy, one of Fairfield’s newest businesses. Coming from a family of four generations of pharmacists, Bryan decided it was time to start his own business and has now opened the doors of Summit Pharmacy; where the Sweet Spot had been for a number of years. Summit Pharmacy has a drive-up window as well as a storefront where they carry many over the counter medications, vitamins, and other supplements. Pictured in the center is owner Bryan Vander Linden, Hanna Vander Linden, and their children; Dara, Elisha, Jude, Ezra, and Abraham with the Ambassadors. Please visit Summit Pharmacy at: https://www.summitpharmacyia.com/  Indian Hills Community College Supervisory Leadership Series
Being a supervisor can be difficult! Join Russ Curry for this Supervisory Series brought to you in the comfort of your office by Zoom. Learn to develop your skills to become a better supervisor and learn to deal with difficult situations and challenges. The sessions will meet once a month, Wednesday afternoons from 12:30-3:00pm. To register, visit www.indianhills.edu/supervisorseries. IHCC Professional Development Courses
Our Professional Development Courses this fall are being offered on Zoom to help promote everyone’s continued safety. To register, visit www.indianhills.edu/management.
SBA Announces Registration for National Small Business Week Virtual Conference September 22-249/17/2020  WASHINGTON – As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration and cosponsors will host all virtual events September 22-24, 2020. This year’s National Small Business Week activities will include numerous educational panels providing retooling and innovative practices for entrepreneurs as our nation’s small businesses look to pivot and recover, contributing to a stronger economy. The event will recognize the national award winners, including the naming of the National Small Business Person of the Year. The National Small Business Week event schedule includes three days recognizing America’s outstanding entrepreneurs, shining a spotlight on the nation’s 30 million small businesses across the country. Details and registration information will be posted on https://www.sba.gov/NSBW as events are finalized. Tuesday, September 22, 1 p.m. EDT – “Pride in America’s Small Businesses” Day’s events include: National Small Business Week Welcome - SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza Keynote Address National Small Business Week Awards Presentations Wednesday, September 23, 9 a.m. EDT – “Preparing for a stronger tomorrow: Recovery, Adaptation, and Innovation” Day’s events include: Panel Discussion Series - America’s Strength, Learning to Pivot and Innovate Mid-day Sessions - SBA’s Veteran Resources and Veteran Success Story Videos Thursday, September 24, 9 a.m. EDT – “Preparing for a stronger tomorrow: Recovery, Adaptation, and Innovation” Day’s events include: Panel Discussion Series - America’s Strength, Learning to Pivot and Innovate Mid-day Sessions - The Business Landscape of today and Federal and Local Resources to Empower Small Businesses ### About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.  NEW INFOGRAPHIC & WEBINAR RECORDING Early Childhood Development & COVID-19  The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges facing children and families, including food and housing insecurity, access to education and poverty. While all children are facing adversity, the immediate and long-term impacts of this crisis have not been evenly distributed and may have substantial consequences for the most vulnerable children. This infographic explores the challenges facing children and families and provides actionable guidance to nurture resilience and support caregivers and parents. Watch our new webinar video to hear experts provide information and guidance on early childhood development, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and COVID-19’s impact on children. Our expert panelists, Jack Shonkoff, MD; Jane Stevens; Paul Hollie and Maurice Lee, discussed:
Register Now: Upcoming webinar on Latino health and COVID-19
 Your Goodwill store in Fairfield, Iowa is Hiring Retail Workers Apply at www.workatgoodwill.org Are you looking for a great place to work? Are you seeking a retail position that offers variety and a sense of purpose? Do you enjoy a friendly and welcoming team environment? If so, Goodwill of the Heartland is hiring part-time and full-time Retail Service Specialists. Schedules will vary depending on your availability and our business needs. Goodwill offers part-time and full-time team members Paid Time Off (PTO) that is available after ninety days of employment and a generous store discount that can be used at any of its 17 retail stores. The pay is $11.08 (or more with related experience.) Full-time team members are also offered a robust benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, paid life and disability insurances, retirement plan, holiday pay and more. Goodwill of the Heartland – Fairfield Store currently seeks to hire Assistant Store Managers. These roles will assist in day-to-day operation of a retail store. Assistant Managers are also responsible for a wide variety of store tasks including receiving, processing, and pricing donations, running the cash register, providing exceptional customer service to all and other general store duties as assigned. Applicants should have great interpersonal and above average cash handling skills. Related experience required, supervisory experience preferred. Candidate must pass child and dependent adult abuse and criminal history background checks. A valid driver’s license and state required liability auto insurance are required. Apply online only at www.workatgoodwill.com Goodwill offers a competitive benefit package that includes PTO in the first year, paid holidays, medical, dental, vision, life, disability pay, pharmacy discounts, and a generous store discount. Goodwill of the Heartland is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran.  Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Iowa South Initiative Fairfield is in a ten county region that has been working on branding efforts for the last year. The label of this region has been branded as “Iowa South”. We are developing multiple formats for using this branding to attract talent to SE Iowa. One aspect will be a website for jobs, and other information about employers in the region. To launch this part of the program, we are looking for employers that are currently needing help. If you are one of these companies, please send a brief description of the positions you are looking for, and the numbers you need. The Iowa South collaborative project is being coordinated between area economic development and Chamber professionals, along with Indian Hills Community College. Iowa South includes the following 10 counties in Iowa: Appanoose Davis Jefferson Keokuk Lucas Mahaska Monroe Van Buren Wapello Wayne Please send job listing information to - Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Darien Sloat, CEO Ceo@FairfieldIowa.com 641-472-2111   |
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All or most of the photos were provided by Werner Elmker Audio-Visual Studio.