$5K grant puts Phoenix baker back on track

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Phoenix in March, Fernanda Sayles, owner of FernDiggidy Sweets and Treats, had to put her business on hold.

Not only was Sayles no longer able to deliver her mason jar desserts to customers during quarantine, but without revenue coming in she had to halt her plans to move into a commercial kitchen.

That was going to allow her to make more desserts and get her one step closer to a brick and mortar dessert boutique, she said.

“The hit financially was ridiculous, not being able get out and make that extra money,” Sayles said. “All of a sudden, everything went upside down, so I wasn’t able to gain anything.”

But now, with a $5,000 resiliency grant from the city of Phoenix, Sayles has recovered from her initial financial losses and put a deposit on a commercial kitchen. Her dream is back in motion, she said.

The grants are one way Phoenix is using nearly $300 million in federal coronavirus relief funding, part of Congress’ $2.1 trillion CARES Act package.

Phoenix is offering $5,000 Micro Business Resiliency Grants to micro businesses, defined as a business with no more than five employees, experiencing economic distress and sudden loss of revenue due to the pandemic.

Phoenix also has $10,000 Small Business Relief Grants available for businesses with 25 or fewer employees.

Director of Community and Economic Development Christine Mackay said Phoenix is offering small and micro businesses these grants because city officials realized their finances took the biggest hit.

Small and micro businesses make up 80% of Phoenix’s business landscape, she said.

“Their revenue source dried up overnight, and with no revenue source coming in to support their families … It was key to City Council that they be able to provide some type of assistance to be able to help them in any way that they could,” Mackay said.