Advocacy Efforts and Local Updates 4/21

Dear Operator, 

Over the weekend, we launched an aggressive campaign to advocate for Congress to provide relief that works for our industry as they enter into discussions of what Phase IV of federal relief and aid will look like. This campaign is built on your feedback and puts forth a unified message of what our industry needs to recover from this pandemic. We have created a platform to amplify your voice and our issues, and now we need you to ACT TODAY. 

If you have not participated in the campaign already, click here to send a letter to Congress. This important advocacy will take you no more than 2-minutes to complete and it will make sure that your voices are heard LOUD and CLEAR.   As we stated in detail on Saturday, the campaign is built on seven anchored message points that address the dynamic and very real needs of our independent restaurant community.  Click here for details about the issues addressed in this campaign, and for a tool kit of images and language to use on your social media platforms. Please share this with your business neighbors, friends in the industry and everyone you know. 

Fairfax County Grant 

Loans from the Fairfax County Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Fund will be made to eligible businesses in amounts up to $20,000 at 0% interest that can be used for critical operating expenses to offset some of the impacts of the shutdown. Loan counselors administering this loan program will work with business owners to identify and apply for optimal federal or local assistance. Click here to get more information. This is a $2.5 Million Fund created to support small business recovery. Applications will be accepted beginning April 28.  

DC Main Streets and Important Reminder from DOES

The DC Main Streets are offering an additional mechanism for relief through “reprogrammed” funding. Over $700,000 in sub-grants have been allocated during the past month, and a large portion of these funds were already distributed to restaurants in the corridors. There are, however, still some funds left but the exact amount depends on each Main Street Program. If you are located within a Main Street district you can reach out to Cristina Amoruso (cristina.amoruso@dc.gov) on DSLBD’s team or your individual Main Street Director. 

Reminder: DOES has reached out asking us to remind employers that if you lay off or furlough any employees you are legally required to provide them their paycheck within 24 hours of their termination date. 

And finally, The Washington Post has long been a resource for local readers who need up-to-date information about their communities. To address the question of how businesses are responding to coronavirus The Post is creating a directory of local businesses and organizations that are finding ways to get people the resources they need while still doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

There’s no fee attached—all you have to do is send over some information that helps communicate how your business has adapted policies during the pandemic. Please do so by filling out this form by April 22. You will be e-mailed a receipt of your responses. Please keep this receipt in case you’d like to update your responses down the line. The Post will also contact you at this email address regarding the directory and related initiatives.

Wishing you all a good Tuesday and week ahead. 

Best,

Kathy