02-23-22 alignable person of the year

hope it is ok that I post this - I just received word and I am so happy Ann Martin-Frey Of Homeless To Independence Inc. Honored As Phillipsburg’s 2022 Local Business Person Of The Year BOSTON, MA: February 16, 2022 -- The largest online referral network for small businesses, Alignable.com is announcing the results of its national search for leaders who’ve gone above and beyond guiding peers and supporting entire communities as they strive to recover. Today, Alignable’s network has chosen Ann Martin-Frey of Homeless To Independence Inc. as Phillipsburg’s 2022 Business Person Of The Year! The 2022 contest is the most popular competition Alignable has ever hosted, marking a 64% increase in participation over last year. In all, 2,400+ small business owners were elected by their peers to be their Local Business People Of The Year across the U.S. and Canada. During the contest, which ran from Jan. 10 to Feb. 11, 2022, 160,000+ votes and 32,000+ testimonials were posted praising thousands of local leaders for helping their peers and communities through a turbulent year with many challenges: skyrocketing inflation, labor shortages, supply chain problems, and COVID variants. Because of these issues, 70% of small businesses have yet to recover and recovery rates have declined 13% since December, according to Alignable’s latest poll of 6,305 small business owners. This recovery reversal highlights how important it is for the contest winners to continue their work helping even more businesses bounce back from pandemic-era hurdles. Martin-Frey received a special badge on her Alignable profile, recognizing this big win. In past years, the awareness generated through similar contests has spurred expanded connections, as well as new business for many winners. Driving Recognition Is Key “This has been a fun and rewarding contest to watch unfold,” said Alignable’s President & Co-Founder Venkat Krishnamurthy. “Local business owners are the heart and soul of their communities and they ought to get way more recognition for all they do. Friendly competition aside, this contest generated some incredible peer testimonials (to the tune of 32,000+), showing exactly why small business owners are stronger together.” About Homeless To Independence Inc. Homeless To Independence Inc. is an all-volunteer, 501©3 non profit that does not receive grant funding. We raise our own funds. We work with the homeless, the working poor, our Veterans and their families and disaster response nationwide and our territories with employment & housing information, Veterans upcoming events and more. About Alignable Alignable.com is the largest online referral network for small businesses in the U.S. and Canada. With 7 million+ members across 35,000+ local communities, Alignable is the network where small business owners drive leads and prospects, generate referrals, land new business, build trusted relationships, and share great advice. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING HOMELESS TO INDEPENDENCE INC AND THE PEOPLE WE SERVE!