The Chamber SWLA Board of Directors has adopted a policy position calling on state leaders to end the federal unemployment enhancement payments before their planned expiration in September.

Southwest Louisiana has been adversely impacted by huge amounts of rain this week. Both businesses and homeowners -- who have been in recovery mode since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020, and the winter storm earlier this year -- are now contending with 100-year flood levels. If there's ever been a locale that needs federal and state help, it is Lake Charles, Cameron, and other areas within the five parish area (Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis parishes).

National Small Business Week is celebrated in the United States the first week of May each year. The SWLA Economic Development Alliance is joining in support of small businesses by promoting a new, online program to help small businesses called SizeUp!  

The service is available for free to all local businesses www.allianceswla.org/SizeUp. SizeUp delivers powerful market research and business intelligence so Southwest Louisiana businesses can make data driven decisions using analysis that has historically only been available to big corporations.  

CLECO has donated $5,000 to the SWLA Alliance Foundation to address the critical issues facing our region: business recruitment, and business retention and expansion.

Southwest Louisiana Credit Union is donating $25,000 to the SWLA Alliance Foundation over the next five years to address the critical issues facing our region: business recruitment, and business retention and expansion. 

The second rack was delivered to the Salvation Army located at 3020 Legion Street in Lake Charles. “We are so excited to be a part of this community in Lake Charles. We want to thank our community of SWLA for helping us raise funding over the Christmas season that we are using to increase our Social Service programs in order to give back. The bike rack we received will help community members who come to our location for help find a place to safely park their bikes. Construction will begin in April for our Center of Hope Shelter. Once construction is completed, the bike rack will allow residents of the shelter who use their bike for transportation to and from work a place to confidently store their bikes,” - Lt. LeAnna Marion of The Salvation Army

Cheniere Energy Foundation has donated $100,000 to fund the third round of the SWLA Alliance’s “Pathway to Small Business Recovery” Grant Program. To date, over 100 small businesses have received $3,000 to help them recover after last year’s Hurricanes and the COVID-19 shutdown within our region. (Pictured: Michelle McInnis, SWLA Economic Development Alliance Foundation; Amy Miller, Local & Governmental Affairs for Cheniere Energy; Laura Ferrell, Governmental and Public Affairs Louisiana for Cheniere Energy; and George Swift, President/CEO of the SWLA Economic Development Alliance.