Wasilla Chamber amid Love Local campaign

WASILLA — The Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce is currently offering the public the chance to win items while supporting local businesses through the Love Local Campaign.

Love Local is a social media campaign that started Tuesday, Feb. 1, and runs through Monday, Feb. 14. Wasilla Chamber Executive Director, Jessica Viera said their member businesses have donated items for the daily giveaway bundles

“We just do a ton of promotion of their businesses and their brand on social media,” Viera said. “It gets our businesses a lot of extra reach, especially this time of year when things retail-wise might be a little quieter. It gets them out there and gets them some extra promotion, and it puts businesses people might not have heard of into the limelight.”

To participate in the Love Local campaign, like and comment on the post on the Wasilla Chamber’s Facebook or Instagram pages each day for the chance to win items from local establishments.

The Wasilla Chamber is also focusing its efforts on a new social media campaign that’s designed to help local businesses hire employees.

“We have an ongoing commitment to helping our employers and part of one of the things we’ve done is try to assist them in getting their jobs in front of as many people as possible. Part of that campaign is starting a Facebook group that any employer and job seeker in the Wasilla area can post to,” Viera said.

Viera said that any employer or job seeker is able to access the Wasila Chamber’s Facebook group. She said they also feature a job board on the chamber website and post full lists of job openings among member businesses each month on social media.

“Those posts have gained a lot of traction as well,” Viera said. “We just do everything we can to get jobs in front of the community and help our members get people.”

The chamber started this social media employment campaign in the fall of 2021 to expand on their existing efforts, according to Viera. She said they started this campaign to help meet the great need for employees across Wasilla.

“There’s a great need in our community for workers from basic entry-level all the way up to extremely skilled and specific task-oriented jobs. The need is out there. We need workers,” Viera said. “Our main objective is just continuing to help our community grow. When people are employed, that’s more money they’re spending locally. That’s helping our local businesses. Our local businesses need workers so they can offer services to the community. It’s a win-win all the way around. It’s something that we’re happy to be a part of. As long as there’s a need, we will try and fill it the best we can,” Viera said.

Viera said that a lot of Wasilla businesses have adjusted their methods to stay in operation and learned to make the most out of what they have available.

“I think Wasilla businesses have done amazing in just being resilient, staying open, continuing to business on a high level. Wasilla’s on an upward trajectory and we’re thrilled to see it,” Viera said.

For more information about the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce, call 907-376-1299 or visit wasillachamber.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com