The Chamber, Gadsden & Etowah County & Etowah County Commission Wrap Up Small Business Relief Grant Fund Project
The Chamber, Gadsden & Etowah County has been working in partnership with the Etowah County Commission to fund COVID-19 related projects for local small businesses since October 2021 and has facilitated the funding of nearly $200,000 for eligible projects of local Etowah County businesses. The Etowah County Small Business Relief Fund recently closed in mid-October 2022.
“We were notified in early 2021 by the Etowah County Commission that the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) had allocated a total of $500,000 in grant funding for certain relief efforts in the community as part of the CARES Act,” said Will Mackey, VP of Operations at The Chamber, Gadsden & Etowah County. “This was the first time that The Chamber had been approached to step up and administer such a grant as this in partnership with the Commission, but we felt that we could not pass up this opportunity to help our local small businesses recover and grow coming out of the pandemic. Over 90 local businesses received funding for approved projects over the past year, with approximately 60 being identified as minority or woman-owned operations.”
The grant funding from ADECA was divided between United Way of Etowah County and The Chamber, Gadsden and Etowah County, who committed to partnering with the County Commission to administer the funds to provide housing and utility assistance, along with relief to small businesses. The Chamber had an established Existing Business Growth and Retention Task Team through their Partnering for Prosperity 5-year plan which fit perfectly in relation to administering the grant fund, and after consulting with the county’s consultant, decided to utilize this volunteer task team to provide small business grants that would fund projects that would enhance or improve the ability to conduct business during a pandemic.
“Our Existing Business Growth and Retention Task Team did an incredible job meeting monthly and reviewing each application with great scrutiny over this past year. I would especially like to thank the members of the team, past-President and CEO Heather Brothers New, current President and CEO Christi Robinson, VP of Operations Will Mackey, and the Etowah County Commission for entrusting us with this opportunity to serve our community in such a large caliber project that has impacted so many small businesses in the Etowah County area,” said Tony Smith, Chair of The Chamber’s Existing Business Growth and Retention Task Team.
“Applications opened in October 2021 for the Etowah County Small Business Relief Grant and recently closed in October 2022. We have been so honored to play a role in this assistance for much needed projects related to the pandemic for our local businesses. Grants of up to $2,500 per business were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for businesses that were eligible over the past year who already made or needed to make necessary business improvements related to the COVID-19 pandemic and for future pandemics that may arise,” said Mackey.
“We remain grateful to have had this opportunity to serve as a partner with the Etowah County Commission and United Way of Etowah County in these recovery efforts,” said Mackey. “Partnerships with local agencies like these have a tremendous impact on our community as a whole not only on the present, but the future as well while we work to grow Etowah County.”
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