COVID-19 Relief
How to Find Help During the Pandemic
We know the COVID-19 pandemic has hit small businesses in our community especially hard. You might be wondering how to navigate during these challenging times, and you might be wondering who to turn to for help and whether they understand the needs of Black businesses. The good news is that the chamber has plenty of resources to support your needs. Check out these free resources, and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
California Relief Grant Program
Gov. Newsom and the state Legislature recently announced the $500 million California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, which provides relief grants for eligible small businesses and nonprofits. These funds do not need to be repaid and can be used to cover a wide range of expenses incurred as a result of the pandemic.
Lendistry will be distributing these grants, which range from $5,000 to $25,000, and Lendistry will be working with its mission-based lending partners across the state to support the applicants for these grants.
The first round of applications will launch at 6am on Wednesday, Dec. 30. The application period for this phase will close on Friday, Jan. 8 at 11:59pm. Any applicants not awarded in Round 1, but eligible, will be automatically considered for the second round.
You can learn more about the program at CAReliefGrant.com.
COVID-19 Stimulus Explained
On March 27, we hosted a webinar featuring Congressman Jim Costa and SBA District Director Dawn Golik for a deep dive into the federal economic stimulus bill passed by Congress.
The bill contains billions of dollars toward a small business rescue plan. Watch the webinars below to find out how this will impact the Central Valley.
SBA Disaster Loan Application: Step-by-Step Tutorial
COVID-19 Stimulus Explained: Help for Small Businesses in the Central Valley
Fresno’s COVID-19 Emergency Ordinance & Small Business Resolution
During an emergency meeting on March 25, the Fresno City Council voted to pass two emergency ordinances in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—both of which have an impact on the surrounding business community.
The council implemented an emergency ordinance that makes evictions and consumer price hikes illegal in Fresno for 30 days. The council also passed the “Save our Small Business Act,” which established a $750,000 fund to be administered by local small business lender Access Plus Capital.
Learn more on our blog.
Quarantine Survival Kit
Life in quarantine can be stressful. Yet, Black and Brown communities are disproportionately affected by
COVID-19.
This includes increased vulnerability due to interpersonal and systemic discrimination, barriers to healthcare access, inadequate housing, ungainful employment and limited resources.
Consequently, people of color can experience disparate levels of stress, physical illness and other threats to collective wellbeing. In addition to the history of complex trauma often found in communities of color, life during a global pandemic can add yet another layer of trauma that can negatively impact our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
This quarantine survival kit can assist our communities to increase adequate self-care practices and promote a greater sense of health, wellbeing and the ability to thrive during these uncertain times.
Real Estate Loss Migration Kit
Have you ever asked yourself any of the following questions during the pandemic? “Do I lease or do I purchase office space for my business?” “What are my options?” “How do I prepare?”
If so, this real estate loss mitigation kit can assist our community by increasing awareness and promoting small business growth during these uncertain times.