(TRENT HILLS) – June 29, 2020 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce announced 62 $10,000 grant recipients from its Canadian Business Resilience Network Small Business Relief Fund today, including Rustic Mama Retreats, located in Trent Hills, Ontario. Media Release – Rustic Mama Retreats $10 K grant recipient
“Rustic Mama Retreats is incredibly honoured to be a recipient of the CBRN Small Business Relief Fund. COVID 19 has impacted our business in numerous ways but most devastatingly by forcing the lay-offs of all our staff members, sidelining our entire spring season and causing multiple venue shutdowns forcing us to source new locations,” said Jennifer James, Executive Director, Rustic Mama Retreats. “This grant will get our staff back to work, help us purchase PPE and allow us to modify our upcoming events so the health and safety of our customers can remain our primary focus. It is such a pleasure and honour serving the community and bringing women from across Ontario together to have fun, to learn and to grow at our events. I am so proud of all our staff for weathering the storm along with me and I look forward to using these funds to get back to giving hard-working women a safe and fun Rustic Mama Retreat, COVID-style!”
“Congratulations to Rustic Mama Retreats, this is wonderful news that will enable Jennifer and her team to continue providing these incredible events, while implementing the necessary health and safety requirements,” said Nancy Allanson, Executive Director, Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce. “Jennifer’s business has seen tremendous growth in just a short time of operating, and, like many small business owners, she will turn to her entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and creativity to transition to a new way of serving her customers. Thank you to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the partnership with Salesforce that will ease the burden for Rustic Mama Retreats to enable them to reopen and recover. Partnerships like this, along with support from government, are vital for small businesses to succeed during COVID 19.”
More than 1100 small businesses across Canada applied for the 62 grants available. The lucky recipients were those that best demonstrated their financial strain, how the business will use the grant to change or innovate, how the change or innovation will sustain the business’s recovery and allow it to prosper, and how the grant will support the role each business plays in their community.
The fund was managed by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and made possible through the generosity of Salesforce (NYSE:CRM). The funding was designed to help small businesses across the country stay afloat and support their recovery efforts, paying salaries, retrofitting their workplaces and acquiring technology to adapt their business model. Salesforce has also provided grants to small businesses in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, in addition to providing other resources.
“Reviewing the applications was both heartbreaking and inspiring, We saw how seriously small businesses across Canada have been hurt by the pandemic, but we also saw how determined these entrepreneurs are to preserve their employees’ jobs and to serve their customers and their communities. Today is a happy waypoint, not an end point, and we won’t stop finding new ways to help Canada’s businesses reopen and recover. We’ll be with them every step of the way,” said Perrin Beatty, President and CEO, Canadian Chamber.
“It has been incredible to see the resilience coming from Canada’s small business owners over the last few months. We know it hasn’t been easy,” said Margaret Stuart, Canada Country Manager, Salesforce. “The applicants have further demonstrated what we at Salesforce already knew to be true – that Canada is rich with innovation and entrepreneurial talent. We’re hopeful that these grants will provide essential support to small business owners as they return to work.”
A complete list of the winners can be found here.
The Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce collaboratively promotes, supports and facilitates business excellence, tourism vitality and community connectivity in Trent Hills. Through dedicated volunteers and staff, they are committed and goal-oriented in serving the Chamber Membership. They are a resourceful and supportive business leader that unites Campbellford, Warkworth, Hastings and the rich rural landscape as a prosperous, vibrant community working towards a common goal.
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For more information, please contact:
Nancy Allanson Phil Taylor
Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce Canadian Chamber of Commerce
nancy@trenthillschamber.ca ptaylor@chamber.ca