r e d f c u.o r g
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stimulus check because she said
she could make do without it, to
the disabled elderly man who gave
a volunteer his last mask. "is
community has shown its heart, its
courage, and its tenacity,'' she said.
Nourish needs the Rutherford
County community to continue
supporting its work through
volunteerism, by telling
others about them, through
food donations, and with
monetary donations.
You may reach Nourish at nourishfoodbanks.org or 615-426-2463.
SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Many small businesses remain on a roller coaster of uncertainty due to COVID-19 economic
aftershocks. e agencies in place to help them have been busier than ever since March.
"Our workload almost tripled when this initially began," said Chris Swoner, director of the
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Middle Tennessee State University, recalling
the rush by business owners to apply for the Small Business Administration Paycheck
Protection Program Loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. "By mid-May, those types
of calls were slowing down," he said, "and we're getting more nuanced questions from people
waiting on guidance on the loan forgiveness criteria."
e forgiveness criteria are among the top three things business owners are asking about
these days, according to Hilary Claybourne, director at University of Alabama in Huntsville's
SBDC/Procurement Technical Assistance Center. e other two top questions include:
• When can I operate at full capacity?
• With the unemployment enhancement, how do I hire back employees who are making
more money by staying home and collecting unemployment?
Claybourne said businesses can either "longingly wish for things to be the way they were, or
they can pivot, innovate, and be on the cutting edge of 'the next big thing.'"
e UAH and MTSU centers have an extensive online library of resources that address
various business topics. In addition, Redstone's business members can contact their business
relationship officer or call 256-327-1104 for assistance.
Resources: UAH SBDC: www.uah.edu/sbdc • Middle Tennessee SBDC: www.tsbdc.org/mtsu
