San Diego City Council committee to look at ambulance services - kusi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kusi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As leaders of community organizations serving San Diego's diverse constituencies, we call for a speedy and responsible resolution in choosing a new ambulance provider.
Companies, governments are falling over themselves to hand out money to minority small businesses Follow Us
Question of the Day
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
This is not a great time to be a minority business owner.
The pandemic has hit these small businesses particularly hard. Back in June a study from the University of California warned that more than 40 percent of Black business owners “weren’t working” and even by the end of 2020, another analysis found that half (49 percent) of minority-owned businesses were unable to pay their December rent. Minority-owned businesses were “last in line” to receive either of the first two rounds of Paycheck Protection Program loans, with less than half of one-percent of Black business owners receiving government benefits as of the middle of the year.
From the very beginning of the pandemic, addressing inequity has been a central focus for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, said Mark Stuart, president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation. This grant funding will infuse our Black, Latinx and Asian small business community with much-needed financial support at a critical moment.
The three organizations receiving $100,000 were selected by the leadership council for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund because of their deep roots and relationships among San Diego s business community. San Diego s underrepresented businesses were already challenged by cash flow on a good day, and now during the pandemic they are facing mounting obstacles to stay afloat, said Donna DeBerry, president and CEO of the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce. This charitable support will get money into the hands of our historically-disadvantaged businesses to help them keep the lights on, pay rent and remain in operation.
The fund has raised $64 million so far to support San Diegans in need and granted $54 million including 244 grants to 200 nonprofit partners. These nonprofits provided computers, internet access, child care, food security, financial assistance, medical support, workforce training and other needs to the region s most vulnerable communities.
Some of the largest grants to date include:
San Diego County Office of Education: $1 million to provide thousands of students and their families internet connectivity and technology required for distance learning;
Feeding San Diego: $50,000 to increase the number of San Diegans receiving food assistance during the pandemic;
North County Lifeline: $50,000 to provide support and resources to children impacted by the health and economic crisis;