WILLMAR—In the first week of the CARES Pandemic Relief grant program, managed by the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission and funded with money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, 47 businesses and nonprofits applied for assistance. Forty-four of those applicants were deemed eligible for help, totaling approximately $320,000 in grant requests.

“We are receiving about six applications a day right now,” said Aaron Backman, EDC executive director at a recent meeting of the Willmar City Council Finance Committee. “More are in process.”

The CPR program currently has $1.3 million available for relief grants, thanks to a transfer of CARES Act funds from Kandiyohi County. In less than two weeks, another $1 million could be on its way, from the city of Willmar.

Read the full article at the West Central Tribune.