The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce has announced plans to introduce a new grant program that will award 20 $500 grants to Chamber members who are feeling the financial impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our board members have been debating, since the outbreak of the pandemic, how we can best assist member businesses and organizations that might be struggling at this time,” said Joe Kirchmyer, executive director of the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce. “We hope our $10,000 investment will bring some relief to business owners and organizational directors and at the same time help kickstart our local economy once New York Pause has been lifted.”
The grants can be used for any purpose, such as retaining a part-time employee, completing a project that was started prior to the pandemic, purchasing a new piece of equipment or personal protective gear for staff or customers, a business beautification project, advertising purposes, etc. Applications, due to the Chamber of Commerce office by June 30, can be found on the Chamber’s website at www.westseneca.org.
“In the event that more than 20 grant applications are received from Chamber members in good standing, the Chamber’s Board of Directors will review and grade each entry, with the top 20 scores receiving grants based on greatest overall need,” Kirchmyer added.
The $10,000 total Chamber investment is the minimum dollar amount that will be distributed. Any businesses or individuals less impacted by COVID-19 that would like to donate to the grant funding pool can do so by contacting the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce office at 674-4900.
The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit business organization with approximately 280 members. For more information, please visit www.westseneca.org or follow the organization on Facebook for frequent updates.
