TRI-CITIES, Wash. — As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close and today being National Support your Local Chamber of Commerce Day, I drove down to the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to learn about how it helps the Latino community.
Martin Valadez is the Interim Executive Director for TCHCC. He tells me the chamber does so much more than help the Latino community.
He says a big part of their work is to be a liaison for the micro businesses and sponsors or community contributors.
With help from the Washington State Department of Commerce, the TCHCC is able to plan community events and coordinate networking opportunities for those businesses and nonprofits.
He credits the funding from the state for those opportunities. Opportunities the community can grow involved in by becoming a member or walking into the TCHCC office.
Valadez tells me his overall goal with the TCHCC is to ensure every business, no matter how small, has the same access to resources.
Often, the chamber travels to nearby cities who don’t have chambers to offer those resources. Valadez and the team work closely with the mayor of Mattawa to ensure the resources needed locally are available.
Some business owners often tell Valadez they wish he’d been there earlier.
From applying to grant programs or learning about the opportunities for new business owners, the TCHCC is open to anyone looking for help or to help.
If you wish to get involved with the TC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, you’re encouraged to visit the TCHCC website or call.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, TCHCC hosted free vaccine clinics at Fiesta Foods to help stop the spread. Today, the chamber continues the work by helping the community.
