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Rome Area Chamber’s business-assistance fund gets boost from AmeriCU donation

AmeriCU leadership presents the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce with a $25,000 donation to the chamber’s business-assistance fund. Pictured (from left to right) are Adam Hovak, chairman of the Rome Chamber; Mike Manuele, assistant VP of financial center services at AmeriCU; George Bauer, vice chairman of AmeriCU’s board of directors; Ron Belle, president and CEO of AmeriCU; and Bill Guglielmo, president of the Rome Area Chamber. (Photo credit: AmeriCU)

ROME, N.Y. — AmeriCU Credit Union announced it has donated $25,000 to the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce’s business-assistance fund.

The chamber created the fund to help businesses through financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It offers support to not only chamber business members, but also any Rome–area business seeking assistance that meets the eligibility requirements.

“It was encouraging to see how ready and willing the Chamber was to act,” Mike Manuele, assistant VP of financial-center services at AmeriCU, said. “Whether it was the pandemic or even the flooding we experienced this past Summer, the Chamber helped businesses keep the lights on, pay their employees, and put food on their families’ tables.”

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After Rome Area Chamber officials announced the ongoing need, Rome–based AmeriCU, a chamber member, “decided to step in with a significant donation,” per its news release.

“Businesses should be able to ask for help from their community leaders when they need it, and as leaders, we should be there to help them,” Ron Belle, president and CEO of AmeriCU, said. “We sat down and talked about how we could support these businesses, the Rome Area Chamber, and our community. The result was the Business Assistance Fund.”

Eric Reinhardt