A year ago last week the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed and signed into law. As a part of President Biden's American Rescue Plan, funding was delivered to state and local governments across the country to support them in COVID-19 recovery.
At the direction of Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez, Councilman and Small Business Committee Chairman Anthony Manetta, and the Babylon Town Board, the Town allocated $6 million to the Direct Support Program, which has been diligently working over the last year to provide much needed funding to support businesses, local nonprofits, and veterans groups struggling to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
Since receiving funding, the Direct Support Program has assisted 155 small businesses, 43 nonprofits, and seven veteran groups that has received funding….and counting! In total 205 organizations have received funding so far and of those 80 are minority and women owned business enterprises (MWBE).
The Town of Babylon is thankful that President Joe Biden and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has provided local governments like ours, with funding that has been able to help struggling small business and organizations that serve our community. Members of the town board and the Direct Support Program Director having been taking the time to personally deliver checks.