By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer
Was your small business impacted by the floods? Thanks to a strategic alliance involving multiple governmental agencies and local community organizations, money can be in your pocket soon to restore business infrastructure and equipment that sustained water damage.
This powerhouse partnership and allyship includes:
- Black Chamber of Commerce
- Asian Business Association of San Diego
- San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- City of San Diego
- County of San Diego
- San Diego Foundation
- Urban League
- BAPAC
- NAACP
- Latino Professionals
- Downtown Partnership
- Workforce Partnership
- Jackie Robinson YMCA
- Latino Professionals
- Urban Collaborative Project
“In the aftermath of these disasters, no one person, no one entity can get the work done to rebuild devastated communities and businesses,” said Donna DeBerry, President and CEO of the County’s Black Chamber of Commerce (SDBCC), who has spearheaded this initiative.
The Spirit of Solidarity
The sheer number of businesses and homes impacted during the floods this past month is still being processed, however county officials report that they have identified 3,000 people and small businesses that have been impacted by the historic flood, and that number will most likely grow in time.
“I’ve listened to the small business owners. It’s absolutely profoundly heartbreaking to see what is going on in these communities in the aftermath of the flood. As mayor, I remain committed to doing absolutely everything we can at the city to help these communities recover,” said Mayor Todd Gloria.
Therefore, in the spirit of solidarity over the past two weeks, these organizations and agencies have come together to provide advocacy information and the resources to support an equitable natural disaster recovery plan.
“The strategic alliances and partnering organizations are here today to say we are not only a resource for our small businesses and our impacted communities, we are also a resource to help our local government be the change makers by addressing any of any and all systemic factors that could lead to any type of inequitable disaster recovery outcomes,” said DeBerry.
For business in District 4, which was located in the area of Southeastern San Diego that took the brunt of impact, the SDBCC has already raised over $100K through an emergency relief fund.
One of the many integral businesses that make up our economy is Shaunte Brown’s Happy Time Learning Academy, a childcare service she runs within her home. As a childcare provider for over 27 years, she shared that the disaster has had a “profound impact” on her Southeastern business with damages that include: a roof leak, odor from water damage setting into the wood, and damaged playground gates that has since created a safety hazard for the children.
“A lot of us are barely making ends meet and we are the key to helping our communities thrive, especially for us that are helping in the day to day activities of working with their children, our future leaders.” said Brown.
Teaming up with Governmental Bodies
Along with Mayor Todd Gloria, County of San Diego Chairwoman Supervisor Nora Vargas was also present at the conference, to relay the alliances formed on the governmental level to help provide aid.
“San Diego experienced a natural disaster. There are no two ways about it. It’s the most significant storm in our city’s history in the last century.” said Mayor Gloria.
“And while we’ve made multiple city services available to the impacted residents and their homes, I also know that there’s a component of this recovery that must focus on small businesses. It’s going to be necessary for these communities to truly and fully recover.”
As a result, the Mayor announced that the City’s Economic Department has deployed an emergency relief grant program that will provide grants between $2,500 and $5,000–depending upon the business or nonprofits location. The department’s goal is to provide roughly 100 awards on a first come first serve basis.
Applications for this specific grant will be accepted beginning Monday, Feb. 12. List to online applications and further information about criteria can be found: HERE
“We know that it will take some time for applicants to gather together documentation that will be necessary. And so I want to encourage those eligible businesses and nonprofits to be ready to apply once that application goes live next week,” said Mayor Gloria.
Furthermore, paper copies of applications can be available upon request in the lobby of the 14th floor at Civic Center Plaza (1200 Third Ave, Suite 1400). Paper copies are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, Khmer, and Somali. For questions, please contact [email protected].
Meanwhile, Supervisor Chairwoman Nora Vargas spoke on behalf of the efforts being done at the county level, which included a special meeting where the board allocated $10 million dollars to support.
“Small business owners are also family members. They’re human beings. So they’re having to deal with the fact that the loss of business but also their families may have been impacted and themselves may be impacted. So we want to make sure that you have your basic needs met. That is what we’re going to do in the county.” Vargas asserted.
Updates on Relief from the State and Federal Government
Amid Mayor Todd Gloria calling for a State of Emergency, Governor Newsom also joined forces with the county by listing San Diego for a Major Disaster Declaration for federal aid to come into the region.
Approval from President Joe Biden is still pending, but if approved, a Major Disaster Declaration will offer programs and support including housing assistance, vehicle replacement, food aid, counseling, medical services and legal services, the county reports.
In addition, officials from FEMA have also been on the ground to assess and collect data of the full scope of storm damage to the community in order to reach the threshold of federal funding to come in.
Applications
To receive grants and technical assistance to help small businesses affected by the flooding: applications from the County Black Chamber of commerce are currently being taken and processed. To apply click on the link: HERE
Applications for small business provided by the City of San Diego opens Feb. 12 to apply click: HERE
