A fund meant to help small businesses that suffered from natural disasters is now helping businesses that had to close their doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development has been accepting applications for its Disaster Relief Workforce Emergency Fund. It will lend businesses in the county who are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 health emergency a maximum loan of $5,000.

“The program is for immediate business needs, so that could be payroll, that can be insurance, that could be rent for their business at that point,” said Vanessa Olivo, economic development coordinator for the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development. “It's not to be used to pay bad debt.”

Local restaurant owner Ezekiel Miller said he applied for the fund as a backup in case he did not receive assistance from federal programs.

“None of the other loans … through the Cares Act and the PPP, none of that stuff that comes through,” Miller said. “And so there was just so much uncertainty out there trying to just try to protect my business.”

Because of the delays in funding from the Small Business Administration and other federal aid, officials at the partnership wanted to make sure businesses in the area had some kind of lifeline to keep their businesses afloat.

“Because right now I know there's been such a backlog with unemployment and PPP and everything like that,” Olivo said. "We're trying to just get people the cash in hand as fast as possible.”

Miller said without this loan and others that he has been approved for, he would have had to modify his employees’ work schedule to keep them working so he could pay them something.

“It’s not about making profits right now,” he added. “It's about making sure that my guys who have been with me from the beginning … can continue to get groceries, pay the rent.”

Businesses will have three years to pay back the loan, which will go back into the fund for the next major emergency that causes financial difficulties for businesses throughout the county.

“It's going back into something that will be reused for a good situation and a very, just un-ideal time to help other people,” said Miller.

The $50,000 fund was donated to the partnership by the Cappelli Organization, and was kept in place by the Sullivan County Partnership as a low-interest loan to assist businesses during future events.

For more information about the loan or to apply, go to SCPartnership.com.