'Green' Celebration at After Hours

On April 22nd, the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours hosted by Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters celebrates Earth Day at their studio with live acoustic music by Bright Moments, Pend Oreille Winery and Laughing Dog Beer cash bar, and features the 3rd Artist Collaborative Series to benefit Lake Pend Oreille Water Keeper.

Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters will unveil their exquisite new coffee, Rwanda Abakundakawa. This Fair Trade certified gem comes from a coffee cooperative located in the northern region of Rwanda composed of 1,956 producers of which forty-one percent are women. Through the Fair Trade price, this cooperative enables workers to establish various social and productive programs increasing potable water, providing transportation improvements, and establishing a women’s association to discuss and solve pressing issues.

Additionally, Evans Brothers will introduce their own Evans Brothers reusable coffee containers as part of their reuse and recycle program and learn about other ‘green’ efforts, including local middle school student involvement and other efforts underway.

The spring celebration will begin at 5 pm Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters’ studio, located at 524 Church Street. For additional information, call 265-5553 or visit www.EvansBrothersCoffee.com.

Ivano's Awarded Business of the Month

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce awarded Ivano’s Ristorante & Caffe the Business of the Month award for their exemplary service and generosity to the community.

Owned by 2009 Citizen of the Year Jim Lippi, Ivano’s started with a dream by his own father Ivano Lippi. Journeying to the United States from Lucca, Italy in 1938, this entrepreneur established his Italian restaurant on February 14, 1984, and the Lippi family continues to fulfill Ivano’s vision to be the busiest and best restaurant in northern Idaho.

With an assorted menu of gourmet foods and hand-selected wines, Ivano’s offers lunch, dinner, and catering along with a full “menu” of events. Upcoming on April 30they invite Bridges Home to their Martini & Wine bar.

Ivano’s has made tremendous contributions to the community through donating food and services to support local families and individuals, including the Tyler Cordle benefit, Chris Owens benefit, Community Cancer Services benefits, among countless others. The annual Ivano’s Golf Tournament benefits a scholarship fund, providing financial support for college or trade school to a local Bonner County student.

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce is pleased to honor Ivano’s as the recipient of the Business of the Month and wishes them continued success.

For more information on Ivano’s, call (208) 263-0211 or visit www.ivanos-sandpoint.com.

Photo Caption: Ivano’s Ristorante & Caffe owner Jim Lippi with daughters Jessica and Katie received the Business of the Month award by the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce. Presenting the award is Ambassador Colleen Spickelmire of Panhandle State Bank.

Career Fair on April 28th

Despite the current economy, employers in the Inland Northwest are hiring. On Wednesday, April 28th at the Bonner Mall in Ponderay, businesses accept applications and some will perform on-site interviews at the 5th annual Career Fair sponsored by Litehouse and hosted by the Idaho Department of Labor and Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

“One of the most challenging obstacles in obtaining a job is ‘getting your foot in the door,’ and the Career Fair allows job seekers opportune face-to-face interaction with employers,” says Amy Little, president & CEO of the Chamber.

According to event organizers, current job openings from participating employers include a mix of part-time, full-time, and temporary occupations in health care, manufacturing, administration, services, education, and management.

“The jobs are changing daily as new positions open and existing ones are filled,” said Bridgette Bradshaw-Fleer of the Idaho Department of Labor. She suggests job seekers to take this opportunity to connect with employers regardless of the openings currently listed due to turnover.

Job seekers are also encouraged to prepare for the event by researching the participating employers, bringing plenty of resumes catered to the job/s sought, preparing a 20 to 30 second introduction to use with employers, and dressing appropriately to create a dynamic first-impression. An updated list of participating employers is available online at www.SandpointChamber.com.

To prepare job seekers for the event, the Idaho Department of Labor hosts no-cost job search workshops on Wednesdays at 10:30 am covering writing resumes, cover letters, and applications, interviewing skills, and job search strategies. These workshops are held at their offices and registration is required.

Additionally, on the day of the Career Fair Ruth Wimberly of Human Resource Consulting and Amber Snoddy of Business Management Services will be available to support and counsel job seekers, offering suggestions on resumes and answering questions.

The Career Fair will be held at the Bonner Mall in Ponderay, located at 3201 Hwy. 95 North, from 12 to 6 pm.

For more information, job listings, or to register for the aforementioned workshops, call the Idaho Department of Labor at (208) 263-7544 or visit labor.idaho.gov.

For businesses interested in participating in the Career Fair or participating businesses, contact the Chamber at (208) 263-2161 or visit SandpointChamber.com.

Creating Referrals for Life Topic at Thursday Luncheon

Barbara Olson, Owner/Lead Trainer of the Referral Institute and Owner/Executive Director of the Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho Region of Business Network International (BNI), presents Creating Referrals for Life – 10 Tips for 2010 at the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce’s Power Luncheon on Thursday, April 8th.

Why referrals? Business referrals are a key element to any businesses’ success. By building a robust network, businesses gain their own sales team.

The luncheon will begin at 11:30 am with power networking. Bring plenty of business cards to enter to win door prizes from participating trade booth sponsors. The cost is $15 for Chamber members with a reservation and $20 for non-members or at the door.

To reserve, call (208) 263-2161 or visit SandpointChamber.com.