INC NEWS - Durham Helps Hurricane Katrina Small Business Owners Begin Anew

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy C. Blalock

Senior Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  August 29, 2007

 

Durham Helps Hurricane Katrina Small Business Owners Begin Anew

New Grant Provides Funds to Help Pay Start-up Costs

 

Durham, N.C. - Today marks the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,
a storm so powerful that it uprooted thousands of people, forcing them
to scatter throughout the country without homes, jobs or a sense of
community.  

 

In fact, Durham saw more than 200 families relocate to the area and
responded by bringing together a network of local congregations, social
service providers, businesses and government programs to help many of
these individuals connect to housing, childcare, education and
employment opportunities in the community. 

 

Two years later, the City of Durham continues to provide help and
support thanks to a recent grant award aimed at helping small business
owners pay for some of their start-up costs to begin anew in Durham.  

 

According to Katrina Reintegration Counselor Nicholas McCoy with the
City's Office of Economic & Workforce Development (OEWD), the Durham
City Council recently approved the use of a $25,000 Katrina National
Emergency Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce to help
people displaced by Hurricane Katrina that currently live in Durham
County receive up to $5,000 to pay for start-up costs associated with
beginning a small business.

 

The funds will be administered by the City's OEWD and the Durham
Workforce Development Board.  According to McCoy, the OEWD will connect
individuals who receive this funding with small business technical
assistance as well as loan and grant programs for which these
individuals may be eligible.  

 

For more information regarding this opportunity, contact McCoy at (919)
560-4985 or via e-mail at hurricanerelief at firstpres-durham.org. 

 

About the Office of Economic and Workforce Development

The City of Durham's Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD)
serves as the gateway to business and workforce development services.
The OEWD's vision is to make Durham North Carolina's leading city in
providing an excellent and sustainable quality of life.  Its mission is
to develop and administer programs with an emphasis on central Durham
that assist the private sector in generating quality jobs for Durham
residents; train and place residents in jobs leading to
self-sufficiency; support commercial revitalization; and contribute to
the non-residential tax base.  To learn more about this department,
visit the City's Web site at http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/eed/.

 

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