PPE to Be Provided at No Cost to Butte County Small Businesses

BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Local government and economic development partners announced the availability of disposable surgical masks and hand sanitizer allocated by the State of California at no cost to Butte County small businesses.    

“COVID-19 has put extreme stress on small businesses,” said 3CORE Executive Director Patty Hess. “It is incredibly important that businesses have access to the equipment necessary to protect their staff and customers.”

During this drive-thru event, supplies will be available in quantities of 30 disposable surgical masks and one 16-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer per employee. “Keep Butte County Open” wall posters will also be provided, courtesy of the North Valley Community Foundation and the Feather River Health Foundation.

Businesses will be asked for their business name, representative name and number of employees. No documentation will be required. These supplies are meant for businesses and nonprofit organizations with 25 or fewer employees, but some exceptions may be made for larger businesses that have been unable to secure or finance the purchase of these items.

This safety equipment has been made available to California small businesses through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA).

 “We thank CalOES and the CalOSBA for their partnership in this effort,” continued Hess. “Providing these supplies at no cost will help offset the expense businesses are shouldering to keep our community safe and their doors open.”

This distribution has been made possible through a strong network of local partners including Butte County, the cities of Chico, Gridley and Oroville, the Town of Paradise, the Chambers of Commerce in Chico, Gridley, Oroville and the Paradise Ridge, the Downtown Chico Business Association, NoRTEC, the Alliance for Workforce Development and many others.          

Small businesses can pick up these supplies on Friday, July 24^th, from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the following locations:

• Chico Municipal Airport, 150 Airpark Drive, Chico
• Gridley Chamber of Commerce, 890 Hazel Street, Gridley
• Oroville Chamber of Commerce, 1789 Montgomery Street, Oroville
• Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce, 6161 Clark Road #1, Paradise

3CORE is a private nonprofit tax-exempt organization formed in 1985. The purpose of 3CORE is to help growing, healthy small businesses access capital, provide business mentoring and work with communities who have identified specific social, economic, or employment needs in their area. 3CORE is “committed to cultivating healthy business because people matter.”