It was a great year for Sagehill Community Futures, says Susan Wehage, CEO, as she took a look back at all the accomplishments throughout the year. 

“We trained 513 individuals, so by these results, it shows we hit the nail on the head with our learning opportunities for our region.”

She says the number of businesses created, maintained, and expanded through Sagehills services was 250. 

“The amount invested in communities through our lending services is $820,677 that we have lent to businesses in communities.”

Sagehill hosted a recruiting and retaining employees conference, after hearing employers were struggling in hiring employees.

“The conference was very well attended by small businesses and community organizations, so with that Sagehill has committed money to hosting another conference like this in the fall.”

Another event hosted by Sagehill was the Hire for Talent project. 

“This project provided small businesses and organizations with information via a webinar to consider the option of hiring a person with a disability.”

There was also a chance for individuals to partake in their Digital Literacy Project, a 12-month program that offers training and development to 32 individuals. 

“The training included basic introduction to technology, so learning skills from never using a computer to understanding how to use the computer, how to use a cell phone, how to create an email account.”

The level of understanding quickly grows, as individuals then learn how to use online business tools, sending documents, and creating a website with e-commerce capabilities. 

Aside from all the training, Sagehill also celebrated small business week by doing community visits. 

“This year we wanted to thank small business owners for all that they do by visiting some communities within our region. This year we visited three communities, Wakaw, Watson, and Bruno. We went to each of the businesses and delivered homemade cookies made by Twin Treats and thanked each business for all that they do in their communities.”

With all the excitement from 2022, Wehage says they are looking forward to the new year. 

“The New Year looks exciting for us, we have some exciting new projects on the horizon, and once we have them all confirmed we will definitely be making those announcements.”