While some aspects of life have returned to normal following the coronavirus
pandemic, area businesses are still hurting from COVD-19’s impact, be it from
lost revenue, higher prices from inflation or in other ways. This month, many
of them have the opportunity to mitigate that financial hardship.
The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce (SAC), along with the North
Clackamas Chamber of Commerce, have established the North
Clackamas/Sandy Small Business Recovery Grant program, offering small
businesses of 50 or fewer full-time employees a chance to receive assistance
payments.

“Our whole team feels really great being able to do this,” said Khrys Jones,
Executive Director of the SAC, noting that State Senator Chuck Thomsen
played a key role in making it happen. “We still hear they need money. We’re
really starting to hear not that the cost of everything is going up. Inflation is
hitting them hard.”

The program will assist businesses that lost revenue due to mandatory or
voluntary closures or other losses related to the pandemic (such as supply-
chain issues, hiring and retention of employees and more), and generally
defined as those losses having been incurred from January 2020 forward.
Impacted businesses will be required to show proof of losses incurred related
to the pandemic.

An open-application period will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 and end
at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, with a review period lasting until Friday,
Sept. 23 and notifications sent at the end of the month. Approximately
$850,000 will be distributed in amounts up to $10,000.

Businesses must be for-profit for the program, as other types of businesses
such as non-profits, school districts, financial institutions, pawn shops, liquor
stores, gas stations, firearms dealers, places of worship and more are
ineligible.

Jones added that the chamber is still offering services through the Business
Recovery Center, including help with taxes, marketing and more, which is
expected to run through May 2024. She also noted that even after the grant
funding is used for the grant recovery program, they want to find more
funding for future grants.

“We’re hoping this isn’t the last round,” Jones said.

For more information, including a full list of restrictions and requirements, and
to apply for a grant, visit https://sandyoregonchamber.org.