CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners on Tuesday announced a mini grant program to help not-for-profits that were ineligible for past COVID relief.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provided financial relief amid the U.S. coronavirus outbreak.
It provided direct financial help to individuals and families, small businesses, some not-for-profit organizations and others.
The CARES Act contained several provisions that were applicable to not-for-profit organizations.
However, eligibility for relief depended largely upon an organization’s tax classification under the Internal Revenue Code.
It provided relief for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(19) organizations but excluded those classified as 501(c)(7) or 501(c)(8).
“It wasn’t fair,” commented Commissioner John A. Sobel, board chairman, noting it excluded most –if not all—veteran social clubs.
And, according to Commissioner Dave Glass, the county had many apply for this much-needed COVID relief.
“We asked all the really hard questions,” he said. “The answer was always ‘no.’ We couldn’t help and it was frustrating.”
When they got a funding request from a veterans’ organization months ago, Sobel said talks began about how to help.
Now they’ve found a way to help those organizations that were previously excluded thanks to American Rescue Plan Act funding.
ARPA permits local governments to pull funding into their general funds in order to help recover from COVID-related losses.
Glass hopes to have the mini grant application finalized by the end of the week and available on the county’s webpage.
Applicants must show some impact of the pandemic, but Glass assured it won’t be some onerous requirement.
“It shouldn’t be too hard,” he said. “They all had to shut down.”
The deadline to apply will probably be sometime in mid-April, but more information is forthcoming.
In other business, the commissioners:
- approved a copier lease with Doing Better Business for the office of Magisterial District Judge David S. Meholick in DuBois.
- proclaimed March as Social Work Month at the request of AnnJane Ross, professor of social work at Lock Haven Clearfield. Ross said social workers are the unsung heroes who await their call to duty to help better the lives of families in local communities.
- appointed Robert Ferguson and Jody Yost to the Planning Commission.
- approved the personnel report consisting of one new hire, five employee separations/retirements and one employee transfer.
- approved the minutes of the Feb. 28 board meeting as presented by the chief clerk.
- approved the bills as presented by the Controller’s office.
