The city of San Diego’s nonprofit and small business relief fund distributed $12 million since launching in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
At the Sherman Heights Community Center Tuesday San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and local businesses leaders celebrated the positive impact of the grants. The grants were focused on underserved communities and in total nearly 1,700 businesses and nonprofits received aid.
"These micro-grants are designed to provide a stronger ecosystem of support for small businesses in under resourced communities," said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
The city worked with community organizations including the Asian Business Association of San Diego, San Diego Small Business Development Center and the County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce. The groups helped identify who needed the relief money most.
"These organizations helped to make sure these dollars flowed to where they were most needed," Gloria said. "Where they were overlooked."
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The San Diego Foundation provided $2 million and city-used federal COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan to make up the other $10 million.
"This is the federal and local government working together with nonprofit and private sector partners to get things done for people and businesses in this city," Gloria said.
During the pandemic the Women’s Museum of California moved from Liberty Station to South East San Diego. The organization operates on a shoestring budget and a $100,000 check went a long way.
"One hundred thousand dollars! I had to pick myself up off the floor," an excited Felicia Shaw, the executive director of the Women's Museum of California, said Tuesday. "But receiving the nonprofit relief fund grant has been a true game changer for our museum and the timing couldn’t have been better."
The program successfully helped businesses build back trust.
"Trust in the process to deliver critical information with proven results," said Ricardo Villa with the San Diego and Imperial Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "Trust in the confidentially and support in handling personal information."
The program was a good start and observers hope the city will continue to make businesses and community organizations a priority.
"We have proven we can accomplish almost anything if we partner up," Villa said. "So we invite the mayor and the city council in sharing important information and opportunities to all the organizations who helped achieve this goal so that together we can find solutions for our community."
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President Biden gave his first State of the Union address last night amid rising tensions with Russia. We have reactions from San Diegans with loved ones in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the San Diego City Council on Tuesday formally accepted $8.3 million in additional aid to help low-income tenants pay rent and utility bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, there’s been long delays for state hearings on wage theft cases, and that’s hurting low wage workers hoping to recover the money they're owed.
