For Immediate Release:
 August 04, 2003

Media Contact:
Wayman Bannerman
wgb@miamidade.gov
305-375-4832


Commissioner Dennis C. Moss Provides $50,000 for "Mom and Pop" Small Business Grant Program in Homestead and Florida City


(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss kicked off on August 1 his "Mom and Pop" Small Business Grant Program for businesses in disadvantaged neighborhoods of the Homestead/Florida City area.  The program will award a total of $50,000 to small businesses within the two municipalities that are also included in the Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Zone and Targeted Urban Area (TUA) - areas designated by Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida as having economic development needs.

The Homestead/Florida City program is an extension of an initiative begun by Commissioner Moss in March, when he made grant money available to small businesses in the South Miami-Dade communities of Richmond Heights, West Perrine, Goulds, South Miami Heights and Naranja.  A five-member selection committee appointed by Commissioner Moss will again choose grant recipients from applications submitted between August 4 and August 15. Program participants may receive a maximum grant of $10,000, depending on the number of qualified recipients selected.  Grant applications are available at Commissioner Moss' South District office at 1634 N.W. Sixth Avenue in Florida City; 305-245-4420.

The funds will not be paid directly to the grant recipients, but rather to vendors providing the recipients with services such as business equipment, interior renovations, marketing and advertising, insurance, security system installation, code violation compliance or any other justifiable business need.

"The Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program is an opportunity for some small businesses to obtain the resources they need to stay in business, and for others, it gives them the chance to overcome certain hurdles in their way so they can grow and expand," said Commissioner Moss.

The Mom and Pop Grant Program is a joint partnership between Neighbors and Neighbors Association (NANA), a non-profit economic development agency, and the Urban Revitalization Task Force, a County agency charged with overseeing the County's economic development funding process and revitalizing the County's TUA.
 

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MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSIONER DENNIS MOSS DISTRICT 9