Somerton businesses receive nearly $100K in CARES Act aid

SOMERTON – Twenty-nine small businesses in Somerton have received a total of $96,000 in federal grants to help them weather the economic fallout of the pandemic.

The businesses were among those across the state ordered earlier this year by Gov. Doug Ducey to close their doors temporarily as part of measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The grants come from Arizona’s share of relief funds distributed through the CARES Act passed by Congress and signed by President Trump. Ducey’s office partnered with the Local First Arizona Foundation to launch a program to distribute the grants to shuttered businesses in Arizona.

Somerton businesses on average received a grant total of $3,310 apiece, Kimber Lanning, executive director of the Local First Arizona, said in a recent report to the Somerton City Council.

The businesses typically used the money to cover the costs of rent, employee pay and other operating expenses, said Lanning, whose organization received and evaluated applications for the grants.

“The (Somerton) business community is very thankful (for the financial help),” she told the council. “They responded very well and it was easy to work with them.”

Lanning said another $4,000 in grant money remained to be distributed in the city.

Among the recipients were Gaby Chin and her husband, who own and operate Gaby Barber Shop on Main Street in Yuma.

“That help served us really well,” she said. “We were behind three month in rent for our building, and we used the grant for that.”

Hers and other barber shops around Yuma County were forced to close for about a month in the spring as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Hector Tapia, Somerton’s economic development director, said apart from the grants, the city is trying to help downtown businesses by offering a loan program for those shops that want to renovate their storefronts to attract more customers.

The program offers no-interest loans of up to $20,000. So far, Tapia, said, one business has taken advantage of the program, receiving $10,000.

PhOTO by cÉsar NeyOy-bes GABY CHIN, SEEN HERE CUTTING A CUSTOMER’S HAIR at her Somerton barber shop, was among Somerton business people who received grants to help them weather the economic hardship created by the pandemic.