Good morning from LakewoodAlive,
I write to you from my house right now as our team is working remotely starting Monday, the same day when some of you closed temporarily and when the restaurant/bar news broke.
This situation is evolving rapidly and I want you to know that we are working to support small businesses city-wide with our partnerships at city hall, Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and private partners including financial institutions. We are working with members of City Council and the administration to communicate and emphasize how this is impacting your business based on what we have heard from many of you.
Our goals are to connect you to resources and to communicate what we know as pertinent news becomes available while also doing what we can to encourage people to continue to support local businesses. We are working on a communication strategy today and hope to have more information for you soon.
We are here for you and want to do all that we can to help.
Below are initial resources to share, with much more to come. The Chamber and LakewoodAlive are sharing this info collaboratively so if you already saw this, excuse the double-up.
We will update you with more regularity and content. In the meantime, please let us know how you and your business are faring, what you are seeing, and the questions you have that you haven't been able to get answered.
Please feel free to contact me at 216-521-0655 or iandrews@lakewoodalive.org. We have shared many of your concerns with the Mayor, council, banks, and other public officials already and will continue to do so.
Ian and the LakewoodAlive Team
Availability of Economic Injury Loans from SBA for Small Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations
The state is applying this week to the federal government for certification of economic injury in order to make assistance loans up to $2 million at low interest with long-term repayments available to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations whose operations and finances are affected by COVID-19. We will provide more information on these resources as they become available. This certification has not yet happened, but it is in progress. Information about the difficulty you are encountering will help with this certification. Small business owners that have been impacted by the COVID-19 virus can provide information about the impact to businesshelp@development.ohio.gov. This information will be helpful for Ohio's application for support. In the interim, general information about the economic injury assistance loans can be found here:https://www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance ... s-covid-19. We will continue to update you as this resource becomes available.
Unemployment Benefit Eligibility Changes to Support COVID-19 Related Employment Impacts
At the state level, the Governor will be issuing an executive order to allow workers without paid-leave benefits will be able to access unemployment benefits through the State. Individuals who are quarantined will be considered unemployed and be able to apply for support. Companies who determine it is necessary to shut down operations due to the COVID-19 outbreak will also be able to apply for unemployment benefits. Additionally, the one-week delay for eligible workers to receive assistance will be waived. Please take a look at http://jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/CoronavirusAndUI.stm for some FAQs or you may contact the state at 877-644-6562 with questions or to apply.
Ability for Bars and Restaurants to Return Unopened Liquor
For bar and restaurant owners that have stocked up on alcohol in expectation of St. Patrick's Day, NCAA or other events that drive bar and restaurant traffic, bar and restaurant owners have an opportunity to return unopened, high proof liquor products purchased in the last 30 days back to the agency of purchase. For information on this program, please contact 877-812-0013 or ohioliquorinfo@com.ohio.gov.
Ian Andrews
Executive Director
LakewoodAlive
14650 Detroit Avenue #LL40
Lakewood, OH 44107
216-521-0655