Northampton County Council approved $943,644 for 69 small business grants at their October 7^th meeting. The grants are funded with money from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. All applications were reviewed by a committee that included three members of County Council.

“Many businesses continue to struggle with staffing and the hesitancy of some of their customers to return,” says Lamont McClure. “These grants are crucial to our small business community as the economic damage from the pandemic continues.”

Recipients include child care centers, retail stores, salons and restaurants. To qualify for a grant, a business must be located in Northampton County and have fewer than 100 employees. The funds can be used for rent, payroll and other operating expenses. The maximum grant amount is $15,000 per business. Northampton County has funded 1,337 of these grants so far and the application process is still open. Anyone interested in applying can find the application at https://www.lehighvalleychamber.org

Council approved allocation of $15 million from the American Rescue Plan for small business assistance grants in June.

FEMA has opened a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for Northampton County residents who suffered damage from Hurricane Ida.

The DRC is located at the Emergency Management Building at 100 Gracedale Avenue, Nazareth, PA 18064 and will be open October 19^th through October 22^nd from 10:00AM – 7:00PM, on October 23^rd from 10:00AM – 5:00PM and on October 25^th from 10:00AM to 7:00PM. Residents who have started the application process can get assistance for any questions they have from a FEMA staff member. Residents who have not already applied by phone or via the FEMA website can apply in-person.