Cosas Buenas - Good Stuff

07/14/2023

The news should report "55% of grants went to BIPOC owned business, with mostly the smallest grants going to those owners. 90% of the actual funds were given to White owned businesses".

Statistics are easily misleading. People don't understand statistics well enough to see that when reading it.

Here's text of the article below. Thanks to Pat Ononibaku for bringing this to light. You are amazing and appreciated!!

ARTICLE:
Amherst officials to review spending $4.9M in ARPA funds

By SCOTT MERZBACH
Staff Writer
Published: 7/13/2023 7:53:13 AM

AMHERST — More details about how to spend the remaining $4.9 million in American Rescue Plan Act money Amherst has available are expected to be presented to the Town Council on Monday.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman said this week that he anticipates an update will be provided to councilors about the money that still needs to be spent, including $2.8 million that was not previously committed and $2.1 million not spent from earlier projects.

The Town Council must obligate the remaining money by Dec. 31, 2024, and have it spent by Dec. 31, 2026.

Specific requests have been coming from various organizations and businesses in town that could be supported with the money. Among those organizations that may be seeking money are Amherst Media, the Hospice of the Fisher Home and the Black Business Association of Amherst, Bockelman said.

There also have been conversations about directing money toward infrastructure, including roads and sidewalks, installing solar canopies over the parking lot at the high school and upgrading the senior center kitchen and activity space at the Bangs Community Center.

The business association at a Town Council meeting last month asked for $300,000, with the money to be divided equally between the business association and Hazel’s Blue Lagoon, a Black-owned nightclub in downtown that didn’t previously get ARPA economic development money

Since that meeting, in which representatives from the business association spoke and outlined concerns about equitable distribution of ARPA money, they have met with U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern at BakuCare Adult Day Health in Hadley, which is operated by Pat Ononibaku.

Ononibaku, the business association president, said the meeting was set up following a request from member Edward Cage, who had earlier met McGovern during an event with constituents in Amherst. Among those attending were At Large Councilor Ellisha Walker.

“We are thrilled Congressman McGovern accepted our invitation to meet and to listen to the real economic hardships BBAAA members are facing as we seek his advocacy for earmarks and grants for the group,” Ononibaku said in a statement.

Ononibaku contends that Black-owned businesses have been shortchanged.

“Direct payments were made to individuals and support for businesses, as well as to state and local governments. The town of Amherst received $11.9 million, but none of these funds thus far have benefited any existing Black-owned businesses,” she said.

Town officials have disputed this, noting that 55% of small business grants have gone to Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) businesses and that two Black-owned businesses, White Lion and Carefree Cakery, are both able to launch in town based on the financial support they have received.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at [email protected].

04/06/2023

12/07/2018

Glendon Warner always wanted to run his own business. So, when he and 33,000 other Toys ‘R’ Us employees lost their jobs this year, he opend up a toy store.

07/06/2018

08/04/2014

The world is one. We need products, gifts, images to reflect this, for ourselves, our families friends neighbors and children, in our homes, clothing, books, greeting cards, kids media, books, toy, and more. I will be attempting to gather as many of these types of quality products as possible to be available online soon, as well as creating some of our own products.

One of the key ingredients in our business model is - from the get go - we plan to donate 10% to the "Zero Hunger Fund," a project which aims to reduce world hunger at a more rapid rate than is currently being accomplished. If our world were to unify, we could eradicate hunger completely in less than three years. If we unify a whole lot, those of us who care, we just might be able to do just about the same thing, in all solvable - preventable cases of hunger and death by starvation. Organizations with an eye to permanent sustainability, not just a band aid approach, like the WFP and UNICEF, along with some wonderful yet smaller projects (like the Heifer Foundation), will be the recipients of these donations. The "Zero Hunger Fund" is asking the recipient organizations to sign on with a unified mission statement, and to keep communication accurate and open about how much additional donations they feel they have received from this project.

PLEASE contact us for school fundraisers as well! 10% donated to local organizations in Western MA, 7-8% other locations, minimum. Some specific targeted / customized fundraisers could raise up to 50% or even more if you wish.

The sky is not even the limit, there is a lot of goodness out there, in here, all around, and we are here to harness and unify it....!

08/04/2014

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iA9MiUfLPlk/UDVZoaYqtVI/AAAAAAAB8oE/NK6ISy4BrJU/s1600/IMG_7565.JPG

08/04/2014