Bend Chamber of Commerce members, from left, Katy Brooks, Garrett Jaenicke and Bob Savage with some of the PPE supplies issued to businesses.

BEND — Adaptability has proven to be a key asset during the global pandemic. Schools have gone online, real estate agents do Zoom home tours, and bars now sling to-go cocktails. Quietly behind the scenes, your nearest chamber of commerce has likely also gone through a dramatic transformation.

Chambers that once served as networking hubs have become lifelines, supporting pandemic-slammed businesses to get a federal loan or pick up personal protective equipment. Their mandates have transformed from business promotion to business saviors, assisting local entities hamstrung by the lockdowns and restrictions.

“We are that collaborator, that convener when things need to come together, that is our charge,” said Garrett Jaenicke, director of marketing for the Bend Chamber of Commerce, which has around 1,500 members.

When the pandemic hit, said Jaenicke, local businesses were scrambling to apply for a Paycheck Protection Loan and finding out where to get their hands on personal protective equipment. Chambers of commerce helped with that learning process, acting as a conduit between the public and private sectors.

“Understanding what businesses needed right off the bat was a big challenge,” said Jaenicke. “Everyone was trying to figure things out on the fly.”

The Bend Chamber put together COVID-impact webinars, assisted small businesses during their loan application process, and helped to distribute $1.2 million in CARES Act grants.

“The videos they did, online seminars were very helpful. It was good to see what they were doing and what others were doing to follow COVID rules but not go out of business,” said Larry Sidor, brewmaster for Crux Fermentation Project.

Chambers across the region also acted as a repository for masks, face shields, and other PPE, especially at the start of the pandemic when shortages of such products were common.

The protective gear was collected from various federal, state and city sources and distributed to local businesses. Recipients included restaurants, childcare centers, shops, construction sites and other businesses.

“We distributed a ton of PPE,” said Eric Sande, executive director of the Redmond Chamber of Commerce, which has around 820 members. “We called our group the Redmond Rallies Team.”

Sidor from Crux said his brewery was one of the local outfits to take advantage of protective equipment distributions.

“We took advantage of that when it was hard to come by,” said Sidor.

While their efforts helped hundreds of businesses navigate tricky times, the lockdowns inevitably put a few local shops out-of-business and pushed others to the brink of collapse.

Jaenicke estimates that around 20% of businesses have fallen into deep economic despair. Only 15% of local businesses could call 2020 a success, he said. In between the two extremes, most companies are barely getting by.

“Anybody in an in-person type of business really got hit hard and they are still reeling at this point,” said Jaenicke. “Some have done really well, like real estate and tech. So some got a bump and others were just devastated.”

Now the chambers in their respective communities are looking ahead to the rest of 2021, with their focus on getting Central Oregonians to shop locally and support businesses right through the worst of the pandemic.

The big box stores will come out the other end of the pandemic in-tact, but it’s up to local communities to help the mom and pop shops get across the finish line.

Katy Brooks, chief executive of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, said grocery stores are taking business away from local restaurants as people are eating at home, and asks the public to support local restaurants, especially those that are relying on takeout.

“Take-out food from restaurants that are more geared toward sit-down style,” said Brooks. “That will help them survive.”

Brooks is also asking the public to avoid Amazon when possible and look for products that are available at smaller shops around town. Gyms and fitness centers are more difficult to support, she said, but some may be offering online classes.

Sande and his team of three employees are blasting out the “shop local campaign” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms.

“We try to encourage people to make a habit of shopping local and make a conscious effort to support local businesses,” said Sande. “If we all work together, we can make a difference and help our businesses survive this challenging time.”