The $5,000 Kwilos Farms in Angola received helped it cover a bill on equipment and tubing for its maple syrup operation. Pete -n- Paul's Pockets in South Buffalo got $20,000 to cover payroll after nine lean months in the restaurant business. And the $25,000 grant received by Angels at Heart Senior Care in Tonawanda went to payroll and personal protective equipment costs for its 20 employees.
They're some of the 1,399 companies in Erie County that shared $19.2 million in Back to Business grants earlier this month using funds from the federal CARES Act. The program distributed awards from $2,500 to $45,000 with the aim of helping small businesses survive through the pandemic. During the three-week grant application period, the county received 5,000 requests asking for more than $95 million in funding.