The Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP) is providing PPE Safety Tool Kits to small Champaign County businesses.
The tool kits, donated by JobsOhio and provided to the CEP by the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC), contain 100 3-ply masks, 10 KN-95 masks and a 24-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer.
“We are grateful to the DDC and JobsOhio for providing these tool kits and helping the CEP further support local small businesses as they recover from the pandemic and reopen for business within Ohio’s safety guidelines,” CEP Director Marcia Bailey said.
The CEP has already delivered several kits to small businesses throughout the county, Bailey said. She added that the DDC will provide more, and businesses can pick up PPE tool kits, while supplies last, at the Mechanicsburg, North Lewisburg and St. Paris municipal buildings and the CEP office in Urbana.
Before picking up a kit, call the CEP, 937-653-7200, to check on availability.
“The kits are being well received by our local businesses, as PPE has been in short supply throughout the pandemic,” Bailey said. “They are extremely appreciative of the thoughtfulness and the cost savings to their businesses to meet the safety protocols.”
Recently, the CEP, in partnership with the Champaign County commissioners, awarded 24 small Champaign County businesses a total of $54,265.15 from the COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Grant Fund to help them recover from losses due to the pandemic, as well as help boost the local economy and consumer confidence.
J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO, said, “Small- and medium-sized businesses make up the backbone of Ohio’s economy and with grit and determination, they and their employees have persevered through unprecedented economic and health challenges during this pandemic. JobsOhio is pleased, along with our network partners (including the DDC), to provide them with PPE tool kits, to aid them in their efforts to get back to work and operate safely.
“While we don’t know what the future holds, we are optimistic that Ohio businesses will succeed and continue to play an essential role in Ohio’s economic recovery.”
Jeff Hoagland, DDC president and CEO, added, “Small businesses have been a concern of the economic development community since the very beginning of this crisis. We have seen them use every bit of the Dayton region’s innovation, passion and collaborative spirit as they reopened, doing their best to make their workplaces safe for their employees and customers. We hope these kits will help them continue their recovery.”
In collaboration with the DDC and other JobsOhio Network Partners, JobsOhio is distributing 15,000 Safety Tool Kits, which include 1.65 million masks and 15,000 units of hand sanitizer, across the state.
Since March 15, JobsOhio and its regional and State of Ohio partners have committed to finding new ways to assist businesses during the pandemic. JobsOhio has committed up to $350 million to fund 10 new economic development programs in the past four months. JobsOhio established programs to assist with low interest loans, job retention, and innovation for small businesses statewide.
In addition to donating Safety Tool Kits for small businesses, JobsOhio and its partners have overseen liquor buyback/liquor rebate programs and provided more than 3,100 cases of hand sanitizer (1 million+ ounces) to local bars and restaurants.
For additional information, visit “Ohio Safe. Ohio Working.”
