Giving back to the community and showing value to members. Those are among the goals for the Freeman Community Development Corporation as they launch their 2023 membership drive.
Recruiting new members and retaining existing members is a focus that comes in advance of their annual meeting set to take place on Monday, February 6. The session will convene at 5:30 PM and take place at City Hall located at 185 E. Third Street in Freeman.
All current member representatives, as well as those interested in 2023 membership, are invited to attend the annual meeting; information will be shared and opportunities for feedback will be provided.
Annual membership pricing for individuals, families, community organizations, and businesses range from $75 to $250. New and renewed memberships will be accepted at the annual meeting and in advance.
A new benefit for this year’s members will be individual feature ads in Freeman’s local newspaper, The Courier. Each ad will provide $75 worth of advertising at no cost, courtesy of the corporation.
FCDC’s 2022 membership totaled 79. In addition to businesses, 12 individual and family memberships and organizations like Rural Revival, Safe Place of South Dakota, and the South Dakota Chislic Festival also chose to be part of the corporation.
As an active 2022 advocate and collaborator for the benefit of the Freeman community, FCDC used membership dollars to fund a variety of events, promotions and give-aways resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of Freeman Bucks gifted for patrons to spend at Freeman businesses.
Collaborative efforts in 2022 resulted in Main Street, Halloween, and Hometown Christmas celebrations. Expanded housing opportunities and the launch of a new ExperienceFreemanSD.com website were also outcomes of this collaboration in the past year. Showcasing Freeman as an ideal place to live, work and play, the new website includes an extensive community calendar, as well an employer portal and listings for job seekers. This one-stop, online landing point is especially important as current trends indicate that people choose where to live before determining where to work.
Questions about FCDC membership and other Freeman-related opportunities may be directed to the City of Freeman’s development and marketing office by calling 605.925.4444 during regular weekday business hours.