Jose Cordon
The DLBA and Farmers & Merchants Bank (F&M) have partnered to provide up to 30 micro-grants of $1,000 each to Downtown businesses impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Following the announcement of this program on March 27, the DLBA received an outpouring of interest and has since reached capacity on applications.
“In these uncertain times, we hope the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program will provide some relief to Downtown businesses in need and encourage them to access available resources,” said F&M President W. Henry Walker. “Downtown Long Beach has been our home for more than 100 years, and we remain a committed community partner with its business community, its residents, and the DLBA.”
“We thank F&M for their swift action, flexibility and partnership in creating this program,” said DLBA President and CEO Kraig Kojian. “Originally, F&M committed three-year funding towards the DLBA’s Women-Owned Business Grant Accelerator and its Entrepreneurial and Small Business Education Series, both slated for early summer. As the COVID-19 health crisis forced many businesses to close their doors or alter their operations, we quickly pivoted and came together with F&M to re-purpose this program and provide economic relief in the form of micro-grants.”