Looking for directions, Strawberry Festival information or place to volunteer?
The Lebanon Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center can help.
Executive Director Shelly Garrett spoke about the services the chamber offers at the Lebanon City Council meeting on May 10.
She said she asked City Manager Gary Marks and Mayor Paul Aziz for a spot on the agenda because of audience questions asked at the last council meeting.
Her hope was that maybe some of the people who had questions will watch her portion of the May 10 meeting video and gain a better understanding of what the chamber offers.
The chamber, at 1040 Park St. is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. For more information, call 541-258-7164 or visit Lebanon-chamber.org.
“During Strawberry Festival we are Strawberry Central,” Garrett said. “We sell wristbands, T-shirts, buttons, we take entries for the run, the walk, the parade. We also collect princess dresses so they can put them on display downtown.”
The other days of the year, the three-person staff at the chamber help visitors with questions on a variety of topics including schools, water, park rentals, home rentals, utilities, and where to go for fun. All the information, including the map and visitor’s guide, are free.
“We try to keep brochures for everything,” Garrett said.
Some of the information is organized especially for active senior citizens.
There is “kid’s corner”stocked with coloring books and child-friendly information for youngsters to browse while their parents gather information.
Maps are the most requested items,” Garrett said. People use them for garage-saling on weekends.
The chamber also has information for a range of human resources including alcohol and drug abuse treatment, housing, furniture, health insurance and shelters.
The staff likes to help those looking for volunteer opportunities find the right fit.
“When people are wanting to volunteer, we like to chat with them and find out what their interest is,” Garrett said. Their recommendations are not limited to chamber members, she said.
“We try to be everything to everyone,” Garrett said. “We’re the people who connect people. We may not always know the answer but we know who to connect people to.”