Mayor Alberto G. Santos and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise announced today that $1,244,946 in grant funding has been awarded to 83 small businesses in Kearny, NJ. The funding was allocated through Kearny’s share of the federal CARES Act and can be utilized for COVID-19 related expenses such as payroll, mortgage or rent payments, and utilities.

“The Town Council and I recognize that small businesses are the backbone of our community and we look forward to continue working with the business community in the weeks and months ahead to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic,” said Mayor Santos. “I’d like to thank our federal delegation for their work in bringing CARES Act funding to our community.”

In order to qualify for the awarded funding, a Kearny small business had to meet guidelines established by Hudson County pursuant to the CARES Act.  This included the following:  operating as a for-profit entity at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, having 25 or fewer employees, and having a physical presence in the Town of Kearny.  The maximum grant award amount was $20,000.

The Town of Kearny worked closely with Valley Bank to create an application process and prioritize this critical funding for businesses negatively affected by COVID-19.  Valley Bank’s Director of Business Banking NJ, Dorothy Kahlau, noted, “We were honored to partner with the Town of Kearny to assist them with sustaining small businesses and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Kearny small businesses through the CARES program.”

Photo image:  Mayor Santos with representatives of Valley Bank and the owners of Stella’s Empanadas & Argentine Grill, one of the small businesses in Kearny awarded a CARES Act grant.