Date of release: April 10, 2020
In a virtual check presentation ceremony this morning, members of the Charity of League of Paducah presented Mayor Brandi Harless with a $5000 check for the Small Business Relief Fund. To view the presentation, visit the City of Paducah Kentucky Government Facebook page.
Mayor Harless said, “Thank you so much for your generous contribution. Your money makes a big difference. Plus, your donation is the largest gift so far. You are pioneering for us and setting an example for the rest of the community.”
Charity League President Maegan Mansfield thanked Mayor Harless and the Small Business Relief Fund partners for quickly creating the Fund. Mansfield also thanked her fellow Charity League members for making the decision to divert funds to the Small Business Relief Fund. Mansfield said, “We saw that there is an immediate need to get some money to small businesses to bridge until they can get bigger help.”
The Small Business Relief Fund is a partnership among the City of Paducah, West Kentucky Community & Technical College, and the Community Foundation of West Kentucky. The City has provided $150,000 for the Fund, but will provide up to an additional $100,000 to match what is raised by the community.
Community Foundation of West Kentucky Director Tony Watkins said, “Yes, it’s a stressful time, but it’s a great opportunity for us to band together as a community to show that when the times ae stressful, this is what we do. We come together and do extraordinary things.”
Including the donation from the Charity League of Paducah, the Small Business Relief Fund has received $16,791 in community donations.
On April 1, small for-profit businesses, that are not a franchise or franchise-affiliated, with 25 or fewer employees and a brick-and-mortar presence within the Paducah city limits were invited to apply for the funds. The deadline to apply is today (April 10) at 4:30 p.m. Eligible businesses could receive $2000 grants that must be used for expenses limited to rent, mortgage, payroll, and utilities.
To donate to the Small Business Relief Fund, visit the Community Foundation of West Kentucky website, call 270-442-8622, or mail your donation to Community Foundation of West Kentucky, Attention: Small Business Relief Fund, P.O. Box 7, Paducah, KY 42001.
If you are a business and have questions about the application process, call the City of Paducah Planning Department at 270-444-8601.
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