Application Period Opens for Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program

| October 12, 2021

 

 

Application Period Opens for Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program to Provide Relief to Small Producers, Processors, Distributors and Farmers Markets Impacted by COVID-19

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a Request for Applications (RFA) for the new Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant program and encourages eligible entities to apply now for funds. Applications must be submitted electronically through the grant portal at https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov/usda by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 22, 2021. Approximately $650 million in funding is available for the PRS grants, which are funded by the Pandemic Assistance provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

The PRS Grant program will assist small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers, shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture, and apiculture; specialty crop, meat, and other processors; distributors; and farmers markets. Small businesses and nonprofits in these industries can apply for a grant to cover COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety, shifting to online sales platforms, transportation, worker housing, and medical costs. The minimum funding request is $1,500 and the maximum funding request is $20,000.

The RFA and the PRS Grant Portal provide more details about eligibility for the grant. Eligible entities are required to obtain a free DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) before applying for this program. USDA has created a custom PRS DUNS number portal at https://support.dnb.com/?CUST=PandemicResponse.

Application resources, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), tip sheets in English and Spanish on applying for a DUNS Number, videos on “How to Apply” and more, are available on the PRS Grant Portal.

For more information, you can also reach out to the PRS help desk, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. ET at (301) 238-5550 or mailto:mailto:mailto:usda.ams.prs@nullgrantsolutions.gov.

Check your eligibility, obtain a DUNS number, and learn more about the application process at the PRS Grant Portal.

View the Stakeholder Toolkit

MICROSOFT COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT FUND – OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS

| October 8, 2021

Microsoft is excited to announce that the call for applications to the Microsoft Community Empowerment Fund – Boydton (Spring 2021) is now open.

 

Overview:

Microsoft is committed to the long-term health of the local communities where the company operates datacenters. As part of this commitment, Microsoft provides financial support to help build stronger communities and develop ecosystems of local partnerships to achieve social, economic and environmental outcomes. We are excited to support local organizations that address community-identified needs and help strengthen networks of local groups working together on community priorities in Mecklenburg, Halifax, Charlotte, Lunenburg and Brunswick counties.

How to apply? 

  1. Carefully review the Funding Guidelines–

https://sway.office.com/nnJ32i0pjKrZcYZN 

  1. 2. Complete the Preliminary Application–

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=v4j5cvGGr0GRqy180BHbR-mO6y1QEkFIsA5lqu1kX6JUOThUSTZJSUtWT0FBTEtDM0NYQkU2SVZMNy4u

 

Submission Deadline: November 20, 2021

All applications have to be completed electronically through the online application form.

 

Who is eligible?  

Microsoft Community Empowerment Fund is eligible to 501(C)3 nonprofit organizations that:

✓ Align to one or more of the priority funding categories – Broadband Expansion, Workforce Development/ Educational Opportunities, Regional Quality of Life.

✓ Comply with Microsoft’s Conflict of Interest, Anti-Corruption, Anti-Discrimination, and Charitable Donations policies.

✓ Follow funding guidelines and effectively respond to the application questions.

 

Review Process: Microsoft’s Community Empowerment Funding cycle consist of two distinct steps, a preliminary application open to the public and a secondary application available only by invitation. Preliminary applications open on October 11, 2021 and are due by November 20, 2021. Microsoft representatives and members of our local Community Advisory Board will review all preliminary applications and invite selected applicants to the secondary application round before February 28, 2022. Only invited applicants will be notified of the preliminary decision. Applications must be relevant to the funding categories and meet Microsoft’s eligibility requirements. If you have any questions, please contact us at dcabva@nullmicrosoft.com

Clarksville VA Invites You To Use The Community Dock

| October 4, 2021

CLARKSVILLE, VA INVITES

YOU TO USE THE COMMUNITY DOCK

The Clarksville Municipal Dock offers 20 complimentary day-use slips, allowing you to dock, dine and shop in Clarksville, Virginia’s only lakeside town. After enjoying the 50,000 acres of Buggs Island Lake/John H. Kerr Reservoir, come visit the many one-of-a-kind eateries & shops within easy walking distance of the dock, located just south of the Highway 58 business bridge between buoy markers 19 & 20.

Lake Life Live – Lake Country Cruisers Cruise In – Saturday, October 2, 2021

| September 28, 2021

Lake Life Live Summer Series – Saturday, October 2, 2021

Live Music, Food and Beverages (Corner of Virginia Avenue and Fifth Street)

Gates Open 4 p.m. and Band Starts 5 p.m.

 

 

Lake Country Cruisers Cruise-In Car Show – Saturday, October 2, 2021 @ 4PM

Cruise-In Car Show!  Bring your old or new “ride”.

Downtown VA Avenue between Third and Fourth Street.

Hosted by the Lake Country Cruisers

Harvest Day Festival in Clarksville, VA – Saturday, October 2, 2021

| September 28, 2021

Saturday, October 2nd, 2021, vendors will line the streets facing the storefronts and sidewalks along Virginia Avenue offering seasonal crafts, specialty items, antiques, collectibles, and antiquities from 9 am to 3 pm.  Come out and enjoy the beautiful weather and the activities that are available. The event is opened to the public and there is no admission charge.

Important COVID Relief From Small Business Administration

| September 28, 2021

Dear Entrepreneur:

At the SBA, we continue to work hard to deliver assistance to America’s entrepreneurs. We have been inspired by the grit and determination we have witnessed as our nation’s small businesses have pivoted and adapted over the past 18 months. The American entrepreneurial spirit is stronger than ever.

However, with the Delta variant, the struggle is far from over. Small businesses across the country continue to need financial relief to get to the other side of this crisis. And the SBA is still here to help.

As part of President Joe Biden’s recently announced COVID-19 Action Plan, I am thrilled to share that the SBA has improved the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to better meet the needs of small businesses, especially those hardest hit industries and smallest entities that still need relief.

The low-interest and long-term COVID EIDL program has helped millions of small business owners survive the impacts of the pandemic with its flexibility and affordability – allowing entrepreneurs to hire and retain employees, and purchase needed equipment and inventory.

Now, we’re making the program even more flexible to meet your needs.

  • The SBA has increased the amount of funding that can be borrowed from $500,000 to $2 million for qualified applicants.
  • We have authorized COVID EIDL funds to be used to pay and prepay commercial debt and make payments on federal business debt in recognition of the financial reality many small businesses are facing during this crisis.
  • We have also made sure that small businesses have time to recover from COVID-19 impacts by further deferring payments – so you won’t need to start repaying these loans for two years after your loan origination date.
  • In addition, to help ensure our smallest businesses can access this crucial capital, we created a one-month exclusive window for businesses requesting $500,000. During this time, approvals and disbursements will focus 100% on loans $500,000 or less until October 8th, upon which approvals and disbursements will be opened up to all loan sizes.
  • Finally, to ease the COVID EIDL application process for small businesses, the SBA has established more simplified affiliation requirements to model those of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Our commitment is to serve all our small businesses efficiently while also maintaining strong protections against fraud and abuse, and as such we have worked hard to improve operations. We are also dedicating ourselves to improving our customer service response and the application user experience. As of today, we have increased COVID EIDL application processing capacity from an average of 2,000 to more than 37,000 applications per day.

We will continue to accept applications for the COVID EIDL program until December 31, 2021 or until funds run out. We encourage you not to delay and apply today, as well as forward this email to any fellow business owners you think may qualify for the program.

As your SBA Administrator and a former small business owner myself, my goal is to make you, America’s small businesses, feel like the giants you are in our economy with programs that meet you where you are.

As President Biden has said: “Small businesses are the engines of our economic progress; they’re the glue and the heart and soul of our communities.” Together with my mission-driven team, I will continue to work every day to make sure you have the tools, resources and support you need to recover, rebuild and thrive.

Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman

P.S. Please note all business owners who have received previous loans through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), or Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) can still benefit from COVID EIDL. For no-cost assistance for the COVID EIDL program, and every other SBA program, go to www.sba.gov/local-assistance and connect with a local resource partner near you.

 

For more information and an application you will need to double click on the red highlighted areas of the article.

Clarksville, VA Invites You To Use The Community Dock

| September 24, 2021

CLARKSVILLE, VA INVITES

YOU TO USE THE COMMUNITY DOCK

The Clarksville Municipal Dock offers 20 complimentary day-use slips, allowing you to dock, dine and shop in Clarksville, Virginia’s only lakeside town. After enjoying the 50,000 acres of Buggs Island Lake/John H. Kerr Reservoir, come visit the many one-of-a-kind eateries & shops within easy walking distance of the dock, located just south of the Highway 58 business bridge between buoy markers 19 & 20.

Important COVID Relief from Small Business Administration

| September 22, 2021

Dear Entrepreneur:

At the SBA, we continue to work hard to deliver assistance to America’s entrepreneurs. We have been inspired by the grit and determination we have witnessed as our nation’s small businesses have pivoted and adapted over the past 18 months. The American entrepreneurial spirit is stronger than ever.

However, with the Delta variant, the struggle is far from over. Small businesses across the country continue to need financial relief to get to the other side of this crisis. And the SBA is still here to help.

As part of President Joe Biden’s recently announced COVID-19 Action Plan, I am thrilled to share that the SBA has improved the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to better meet the needs of small businesses, especially those hardest hit industries and smallest entities that still need relief.

The low-interest and long-term COVID EIDL program has helped millions of small business owners survive the impacts of the pandemic with its flexibility and affordability – allowing entrepreneurs to hire and retain employees, and purchase needed equipment and inventory.

Now, we’re making the program even more flexible to meet your needs.

  • The SBA has increased the amount of funding that can be borrowed from $500,000 to $2 million for qualified applicants.
  • We have authorized COVID EIDL funds to be used to pay and prepay commercial debt and make payments on federal business debt in recognition of the financial reality many small businesses are facing during this crisis.
  • We have also made sure that small businesses have time to recover from COVID-19 impacts by further deferring payments – so you won’t need to start repaying these loans for two years after your loan origination date.
  • In addition, to help ensure our smallest businesses can access this crucial capital, we created a one-month exclusive window for businesses requesting $500,000. During this time, approvals and disbursements will focus 100% on loans $500,000 or less until October 8th, upon which approvals and disbursements will be opened up to all loan sizes.
  • Finally, to ease the COVID EIDL application process for small businesses, the SBA has established more simplified affiliation requirements to model those of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Our commitment is to serve all our small businesses efficiently while also maintaining strong protections against fraud and abuse, and as such we have worked hard to improve operations. We are also dedicating ourselves to improving our customer service response and the application user experience. As of today, we have increased COVID EIDL application processing capacity from an average of 2,000 to more than 37,000 applications per day.

We will continue to accept applications for the COVID EIDL program until December 31, 2021 or until funds run out. We encourage you not to delay and apply today, as well as forward this email to any fellow business owners you think may qualify for the program.

As your SBA Administrator and a former small business owner myself, my goal is to make you, America’s small businesses, feel like the giants you are in our economy with programs that meet you where you are.

As President Biden has said: “Small businesses are the engines of our economic progress; they’re the glue and the heart and soul of our communities.” Together with my mission-driven team, I will continue to work every day to make sure you have the tools, resources and support you need to recover, rebuild and thrive.

Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman

P.S. Please note all business owners who have received previous loans through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), or Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) can still benefit from COVID EIDL. For no-cost assistance for the COVID EIDL program, and every other SBA program, go to www.sba.gov/local-assistance and connect with a local resource partner near you.

 

For more information and an application you will need to double click on the red highlighted areas of the article.

MECKLENBURG COUNTY HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT

| September 16, 2021

MECKLENBURG COUNTY HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT

 The County of Mecklenburg is planning to gather public input on local community development and housing needs in order to complete a comprehensive, county-wide Housing Needs Assessment.  The purpose is to identify and prioritize future project areas eligible for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) assistance.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Erika Tanner, Southside Planning District Commission, 200 S. Mecklenburg Avenue, South Hill, Virginia 23970, by phone at434-447-7101 ext. 205, by email:  etanner@nullsouthsidepdc.org, or Virginia Relay 7-1-1.  You may also contact the Town of Clarksville at 434-374-8177.

 

MECKLENBURG COUNTY

HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT PLANNING PROJECT

 

The County of Mecklenburg plans to complete a comprehensive, county-wide Housing Needs Assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to identify and prioritize future project areas eligible for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) assistance. Please review the information about CDBG assistance on the back of this survey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name:                                                                                                 Phone:                                               

Home Address:                                                                                                                                             

Do You Own               or Rent                Your Home?

Do You Have Indoor Plumbing: YES                        NO                 

 

2021Income Limits

 

How many people live in your household? Is your total household, gross, annual income above or below this figure? ABOVE BELOW
1 $33,450    
2 $38,200    
3 $43,000    
4 $47,750    
5 $51,600    
6 $55,400    
7 $59,250    
8 $63,050    

 

Would you be interested in receiving housing assistance through a Community Development Block Grant with a 0% interest forgivable loan?    YES                            NO                 

 

Please describe your housing needs:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Are you experiencing any problems with your well or water service (Please Describe)?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Are you experiencing any problems with your septic system or sewer service (Please Describe)?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Erika Tanner

Southside Planning District Commission

P.O. Box 150, 200 S. Mecklenburg Ave.

South Hill, VA 23970

Phone: (434) 447-7101; Fax (434) 447-7104

Email: etanner@nullsouthsidepdc.org

 

When will I get assistance? This Housing Needs Assessment will only help the County and the Towns identify potential project areas for the next five years. The County and/or Towns must then submit a Community Development Block Grant proposal and compete for grant assistance with all other localities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Therefore, completing this survey does not guarantee you will receive housing assistance.

 

Who is eligible for assistance? This program is only available to help low- and moderate-income (LMI) occupied homes (both renter-occupied and owner-occupied). Please reference the 2021 Income Limits from the first page to determine if your household is considered LMI. In the case of investor-owned homes, the tenants’ household income is used.

 

What types of housing repairs are typical? Housing Rehabilitation is not “remodeling”.  It is making improvements to your house that focus on necessary repairs to the roof, flooring, electrical system, heating system, plumbing system, foundation, doors, windows, etc. Other improvements include repairs to well and septic systems, installation of bathrooms when one does not exist, bedroom additions if a home is overcrowded, and handicap accessibility improvements for physically disabled clients. This program has maximum allowable cost limits that can be spent on each home depending on the work needed. If the home cannot be rehabilitated for the maximum allowable cost limit, the home may be substantially reconstructed. Substantial reconstruction consists of tearing down the existing home and building a new one in its place. Substantial reconstruction is only available to homeowners or residents with lifetime rights. The rehabilitation or substantial reconstruction work will be done using a 0% interest forgivable loan. Therefore, a five-year or ten-year lien (explained below) will be placed on the property upon completion of construction.

 

Will it cost me anything?

If you are a Homeowner – No. The loan obligation is forgiven on a monthly basis for the duration of the five-year lien.

If you are a Landlord – No. The loan obligation is forgiven on a monthly basis for the duration of the ten-year lien. However, you must continue to rent the property to a LMI tenant for the ten-year lien. You also may not increase the rent for ten years except to cover any direct increases in taxes or insurance. In addition, the rent plus utilities may also not exceed 35% of the tenant’s total household income.

If you are a Tenant – No.