79 NYC businesses making a positive difference in their community receive grants
NEW YORK - September 27, 2023 — Citizens Committee for New York City, a micro-funding organization that supports neighborhood leaders across all five boroughs, is thrilled to announce 79 new grants to neighborhood businesses throughout New York City made possible by the partnership of the Wells Fargo Foundation.
The investment will put hundreds of thousands of dollars directly into the hands of small business owners across New York City through CitizensNYC’s Neighborhood Business Grant program.
With this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month highlighting the ways in which members of the Latino community contribute to driving prosperity, power, and progress in America, it is noteworthy that the Neighborhood Business Program has prioritized supporting businesses owned by people of color, immigrants, and women since its inception.
To take one example, Libreria Barco de Papel is a local Spanish-language bookstore situated at the heart of Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, Queens, two of New York City’s most diverse communities. Their Minority and Women-Owned business opened in 2003 with the goal of filling a literary and cultural gap in New York.
Support from CitizensNYC is making it possible for owner Paula Ortiz to expand their free cultural programs, including book presentations, children storytelling, discussions, open-mic nights, poetry workshops and literacy workshops. Paula shared that, “Ultimately, our goal is to promote the identity of the Latinx community through increased cultural and artistic activities, with emphasis on literature that embraces diversity and multiple forms of expression.”
Since 2021, Wells Fargo has donated $750,000 to CitizensNYC through the Neighborhood Business Grants program. From Lakou Café, a Haitian café in Weeksville, Brooklyn that emphasizes support for local artists, to Bistro Casa Azul, a small family restaurant in East Harlem that hosts local community events and contributes to food drives, CitizensNYC is proud to partner with inspiring local business owners who do well by doing good.
“Helping small businesses persevere and navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship is a major focus for Wells Fargo,” said Krissy Moore, Senior Vice President – Community Relations Northeast Region at Wells Fargo. “That’s why partnering with organizations like CitizensNYC allows us to further our mission and help provide local minority and women-owned small businesses in NYC with the tools and resources they need to be successful. We are proud to support the continuation of the Neighborhood Business Grant program, which will further strengthen the small business sector across all five boroughs.”
“Not only do small businesses play a vital economic role in their neighborhood, they are also part of the fabric of their communities - serving as meeting places where community members make connections, sustain local culture, share values, and support local leaders,” said José Dobles, CitizensNYC’s VP of Programs. “We’re truly grateful to Wells Fargo for their continued partnership in funding the small businesses that are such an integral part of NYC.”