By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Nov. 5, 2020) Maryland businesses, restaurants, Main Street programs, arts organizations, and entertainment venues that have been suffering financially from the coronavirus may be able to tap into the $250 million economic recovery package announced by Gov. Larry Hogan on Oct. 22.

Drawn from the rainy day fund, the relief package contains $50 million for the small business covid-19 relief grant fund, $50 million for restaurants across all 24 counties, $20 million for small businesses, entertainment venues and Main Street Maryland communities, $20 million for the covid-19 layoff aversion fund, $5 million for small and minority business low interest loans, $2 million for hometown tourism, $3 million for nonprofits, county arts organizations and local artists and $100 million for an emergency rapid response fund for small businesses.

Gov. Larry Hogan

“I have directed our entire team in each agency to ensure that this much-needed funding gets out the door to our struggling citizens and small businesses as quickly as possible,” the governor said. “We also intend to work closely with our local partners so that they can assist in expeditiously getting this money into the hands of those who need it most.”

The Worcester County Arts Council in Berlin and other county arts councils in the state have to apply to receive money from the recent emergency funds. Applications are due on Nov. 13 at 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.msac.org/grants/emergency-grant.

“The last round of the Maryland State Emergency funds was offered in a form of the grant that each individual county had an opportunity to apply for,” said Anna Mullis, the executive director of the Worcester County Arts Council.

Owen McEvoy, the director of public information at the Department of Housing and Community Development, said the Worcester County Arts Council received $40,000 from the Maryland State Arts Council’s nonprofit relief assistance funded grants that ran through the Department of Housing and Community Development.

The Worcester County Arts Council has not received the $40,000 yet, but Mullis said the grant will be allocated in three ways: operational grants for local nonprofit arts organizations, funding for Worcester County artists and nonprofit organizations that have initiatives for healing through the arts and the arts council’s marketing.

In addition, the Berlin Main Street Program will be eligible to request between $75,000 and $500,000 to be used for its current or proposed coronavirus relief grant program to be deployed to its Main Street businesses, McEvoy said.

Berlin is among the 33 designated Main Street communities in Maryland.

The application period for funding will open soon.

For more information, visit dhcd.maryland.gov/Pages/MarylandStrongEconomicRecoveryInitiative/MainStreet.aspx.