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Mercy Corps Northwest has partnered with Clark County and the City of Vancouver to distribute grants to entrepreneurs facing financial hardship through a new small business relief grant program.

Mercy Corps Northwest has pivoted operations to offer remote services to ensure all small business owners have the resources and guidance to navigate through this unprecedented crisis.

New program will award a minimum of 20 Black-owned businesses $2,500 - $5,000 grants to recover from the brunt economic impact of COVID-19 in the Portland metro area

A total of 365 small-business owners applied for the Mercy Corps grant, and about 250 businesses will receive the money; the average grant amount is about $5,000, said Hannah Cotter, Southern Washington program manager for Mercy Corps Northwest. The grant funds total $1,257,500 and will help small businesses bounce back from the impacts of COVID.

Mercy Corps Northwest has given out more than $120,000 in grants to 24 undocumented immigrants around the Puget Sound who own businesses but couldn’t get a Paycheck Protection loan. They include two immigrants who run cleaning companies and one who has a catering business.

Through Mercy Corps Northwest, hundreds of women in prison are getting a better understanding of what life looks like after they're released. This KGW piece gives a look into the experiences of three women: Vanessa, Myriah and Amy.