​Our region and world have changed. Not only is there a global pandemic, but our nation continues to struggle with diversity, equity, and inclusion.
 
The Temple Chamber of Commerce, as an advocate for the greater Temple business community, recognizes that addressing the evolving demographic changes in our area is fundamental to the growth and sustainability of our members. Creating an inclusive and equitable environment that engages individuals reflective of the full spectrum of our community strengthens our organizations and is key to the success of Temple as a whole.
 
“The goal of a regionally diverse, inclusive workforce and increased economic prosperity for our citizens led our Executive Committee to propose a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council that our Chamber will implement with our members,” stated Rod Henry, Temple Chamber President.
 
The Chamber, in both its values and practices, is committed to inclusion and excellence in the management of all diverse people irrespective of differences. This means that there shall be no barriers to participation in any activity of this Chamber on-the-basis of economic position, gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.
 
We recognize that diverse perspectives are important and necessary for responsible and representative decision making. We believe inclusiveness is a fundamental principle of every organization that enhances its ability to respond more effectively to changing demographics and needs. We affirm our commitment to reflecting the diversity of the Central Texas region and the members of the Temple Chamber of Commerce.
 
The Vision and goals of the DEI Council are outlined below:

DEI Council Vision
We believe that all citizens deserve the right to live in a community that welcomes diversity and embraces the value of all citizens, irrespective of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physique, political persuasion, age, economic status, or any other way we differ from each other. The Temple Chamber welcomes everyone to our beautiful city, and we ask you to “Come as you are.”
 
The Chamber’s DEI Council focuses on economic competitiveness based on three key focus areas while highlighting diverse employee populations that are underrepresented. Focus areas include:  the workplace: adopting policies and practices that include people who have historically been absent from your organization; the workforce:  concerted effort to recruit qualified employees from traditionally underrepresented groups; and the marketplace:  more deeply involve minority-owned enterprises and consumers in the regional economy and recognize the enormous purchasing power of minority groups.
 
DEI Way Ahead
The Temple Chamber of Commerce DEI Council members reflect the diversity that makes our City strong and we will work closely with the City’s DEI efforts, to provide feedback and support. Our initial planning efforts will focus on race-relations.
  
We ask that our local business members support this effort and focus on the long-term health and growth of our City. For more information contact Rod Henry, Temple Chamber President, at (254) 773-2105.

The recent severe winter storms, though challenging, strengthened our character, and it was touching to see our community come together once again to lift those up in need. Neighbors helped neighbors, and Temple Chamber Members served heroic acts and provided food, shelter, and essentials to our community.

Here is how Temple Chamber Members helped amid the severe winter storms:

• Pizza Hut (W. Adams) fed Belton ISD Maintenance and Facilities Department and the Lake Belton High School staff working on restoring the building. They also provided over 200 pizzas for H-E-B Temple Retail Support Center and 100 pizzas for Feed My Sheep.
  
  
• Temple ISD Transportation drove buses to and from shelters and warming stations.
  
  
• Impact Temple Church set up a warming shelter in their facility.
  
  
• Schlotzsky’s (S. 31st Street, Temple) donated gallon jugs to be filled with drinking water.

• Wings Pizza & Things fed Oncor Electric Delivery and the Temple Fire Department personnel.
  
  
• Fire Base Brewing Company used their brewing equipment to boil 200 gallons of water to fill the donated gallon jugs.
  
  
• La Riv Kitchen & Bar served warm meals at no cost through their free meal program that started at the beginning of the Pandemic.
  
  
• Holman Offroad Outfitters helped recover vehicles that slid off the road in their 4x4 trucks in and around Temple.
  
  
• The Salvation Army Bell County, with help from volunteers, the City, Police, and Fire departments provided seven nights of shelter to over 100 individuals and families, including cots, blankets, pillows, hot meals, crafts, and games. They opened a warming station during the day for anyone needing to get out of the cold that served hot tea, coffee, and snacks. The allowed lodging for pets with crates. They offered emotional and spiritual care for those requesting prayer and counsel. Responding to the immediate need following the storm, on Saturday, February 13, 2021, they distributed food, supplies, water, along with blankets, scarves, gloves, socks, and winter coats to over 180 people. Lastly, to help neighbor Brother Roy Rhodes with Impact Temple Church, they provided 12 additional cots, blankets, and pillows to help them serve the community during the crisis.
  ​
  
• The Temple Police Department and Fire Department worked tirelessly to serve and protect citizens, aiding them in the harsh conditions.

 
Through the weather crisis, the Temple Chamber did not sit idle. We helped community partners share information about essential resources, and we used our strength as the voice of and for business to aid our members and community overcome obstacles presented by the storm.

An example of the Temple Chamber in service during the storm and the ripple effect caused by those actions is when the roads were impassable and grocery store shelves empty, and hundreds of semi-trucks sat on Wendland Road waiting to deliver to both the Walmart Distribution Center and the H-E-B Retail Support Center. The Chamber made phone calls in a 3-hour time frame to find a solution to the issue. Calls were made to State Representative Hugh Shine, County Judge David Blackburn, City Manager Brynn Myers, Temple Police Department, Texas Army National Guard, III Corps/Fort Hood, and local contractors to seek assistance. State Representative Hugh Shine contacted TxDOT. Sand trucks and graders from TxDOT arrived at the site quickly to aid.  In addition, the Temple Police Department responded with assistance on traffic control. Roads were sanded, traffic was controlled, semi-trucks made their deliveries, and in-turn grocery shelves were restocked.

The Temple Chamber has a rich 113-year history, and we are the hub of a vast network that includes local businesses, all levels of government, local organizations, schools, and more. We are positioned to help, especially when the vitality of our community is at stake. This was a challenging time, but Temple is resilient, and we will overcome it together being Temple Strong.