Following the success of the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, which dispersed nearly $100 million in grants last year to small businesses and non-profits, the Fund is distributing an additional $4.7 million dollars to small businesses in the personal care & retail sector through the Keep Our Shops on the Block Grant. Eligible businesses within Los Angeles County have one more opportunity to apply for a $10,000 grant from today, April 26 through Sunday, May 2 at www.lacovidfund.org/application. If a business applied in the first round of the program, they do not need to reapply.
The Keep Our Shops on the Block Grant is the first of its kind in the County dedicated to supporting brick-and-mortar businesses within the personal care and retail sector. To be eligible for the $10,000 grant, business applicants must be in current operation, have an open storefront within Los Angeles County (excludes the City of Los Angeles), and documentation of financial hardships as a result of COVID-19. Personal care and retail businesses include: hair and beauty salons, nail salons, estheticians, skin care, barbershops, dry cleaners, bakeries, automotive shops, and more. A full list of eligible businesses can be found at www.lacovidfund.org.
“As Orange Tier reopening continues for businesses throughout LA County, we remain committed to reviving commercial corridors,” said Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs Director Rafael Carbajal. “While this funding will help our struggling businesses, we remain committed to advocating for additional funding at this critical moment.”
The County of Los Angeles is once again partnering with the non-profit Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles (LISC LA), the managing organization of the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, to administer Keep Our Shops on the Block grants equitably. With over 40 years of experience connecting communities to resources and opportunities, LISC LA has the knowledge of seasoned community partners along with the aptitude for expediency to provide this relief to Angelenos.
“As our business community works towards a safe in-person reopening under the updated COVID-19 guidelines, the County and LISC LA are moving tirelessly to ensure financial support is reaching those hit hardest by the pandemic,” said Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Executive Director of LISC LA. “We are doing our part to ensure local economies across the county are able to bounce back after the pandemic.”
As Los Angeles begins to recover from the pandemic, LISC LA and the County of Los Angeles are dedicated to uplifting businesses who endured the economic impacts of COVID-19 this past year. Financial assistance in a time of economic instability can make all the difference in helping diverse, small brick-and-mortar businesses thrive in 2021. The application’s second round is now open and closes on May 2 at 11:59 PST. Apply at http://www.lacovidfund.org/application.