SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Help is on the way for small businesses in the Northgate Boulevard Commercial District thanks to a partnership with the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the city of Sacramento.
Through the program ACCESO Sacramento, 20 businesses will receive $2,500 one-time grants. In total, $50,000 in support is going to the business. The money is just a fraction of $5 million given to the Northgate Boulevard business quarter from the city through American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The money is to help small businesses along Northgate Boulevard recover from the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marbella Salas, president of the Gardenland Northgate Neighborhood Association, spoke with ABC10 about the program and its importance to the community she’s lived in for over three decades. She, along with others in the community like the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has been going from business to business to get the word out. She spends time talking with businesses to get them the help they need.
“They feel like the pressure has taken off for them because it's a relief,” said Salas. “When you're looking at how small these businesses are, they're family owned… they don't have employees, they're living to survive. So this is a big assistance.”
She also points to how these businesses, unlike those in the downtown Sacramento area, remained shut down for longer periods of time.
“They didn't have -- some of the downtown restaurants were able to open up and do al fresco dining, they didn't have that capacity,” she said. “So they were closed down until our restaurants were able to open back up, and they're struggling and our businesses are still struggling. We're not only the restaurants, but we have nail and hair salons, as you know, they were closed. So a lot of them are family-owned, small businesses, maybe have one employee, and they're still recovering.”
Who is eligible
To be eligible for the grants, businesses must be members of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and meet the following requirements:
No more than 500 employees or, if applicable, the size standard in number of employees established by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration for the industry in which the business concern or organization operates
Located within the city limits of the City of Sacramento
Located on Northgate Boulevard or within 500 feet of Northgate Boulevard
In operation as of March 1, 2022, is in operation at time of grant submittal; and intends to remain open; and
They must also meet either or both of the following:
OR
- Has faced challenges in covering payroll, mortgage or rent, or other operating costs as a result of the public health emergency and measures taken to control the spread of COVID-19.
How the money can be used
According to the program's webpage, the money must be used for the following:
General business operations
Payroll expenses
Supplier payments
Rent, lease, or mortgage payments for the business property,
Personal protective equipment and/or sanitation supplies and equipment
Investment in software or technology to maintain online operations, or the purchase of equipment to expand or modify operations.
“I just feel like this is the beginning because there's so much more to be done,” said Salas. “We're developing trust and partnership with these businesses that for many, many, many years have felt like they're alone in their struggles. They're out there all by themselves, and now they know they're not.”
The deadline to apply for help through the Acceso Sacramento program is Friday, Mar 31, 2023.
To learn more, click HERE.
