Unison Credit Union announced today that they will distribute a total of $30,000 as part of their Small Business Grant Program to help area businesses struggling to make ends meet during the Safer at Home order. Thirty small businesses recently applied for the grant via Unison’s website, each of which will be awarded $1,000 to boost their income during this difficult time.
The Unison program was created to distribute a $20,000 grant Unison received through a partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago as part of their COVID-19 Relief Program, providing monetary assistance to small businesses. Considering the number of applicants, Unison’s Board of Directors voted to donate an additional $10,000 so they could equally award funds among the small business members that applied.
According to Unison Credit Union President and CEO Mark Hietpas, it was both a head and heart decision.
“Right now, it’s a matter of survival for these small businesses,” Hietpas said. “We couldn’t choose just one or two of them, because each of them desperately needs our help.”