EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) congratulated local businesses struggling from the pandemic that were awarded grants from the latest round of the Back to Business program awards.

The B2B program allocated $250 million in American Rescue Plan dollars for small businesses negatively affected by the pandemic. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations such as staff and overhead costs.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and have been hard hit during the pandemic,” Belt said. “As the holiday season approaches, I encourage residents to shop local and support businesses that continue to recover.”

Five businesses in the district Belt represents have already received $160,000 in grants:

• Fairbridge Inn, $20,000
• Motel 6, $40,000
• Indian Mound Motel, $10,000
• Denese’s Place, $10,000
• New York Cleaners, Inc., $80,000

For a full list of businesses that have received Back to Business grants, visit the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awards list at illinois.gov/B2BAwards.

EAST ST. LOUIS – To provide residents with a secure option for shredding documents containing personal information, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) and Representative LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) have teamed up to host an event in Lebanon offering free, safe discarding services.

The shredding truck will be available in the parking lot of True Value Hardware, located at 753 True Value Dr. in Lebanon, from 9-11 a.m., or until the truck is full on Saturday, Oct. 23. A limit of two boxes of documents per car is encouraged.

“To help prevent fraud or identity theft, I encourage residents to take advantage of this free event to dispose of old personal documents,” Belt said. “Many of us have unnecessary papers in our homes, and this is a great opportunity to dispose of them in a safe manner.”

Examples of documents with personally identifiable information that should be safely discarded include bank statements, outdated medical records, tax returns, bills, junk mail, credit card applications and receipts.

If residents have questions about the event, Belt urges them to contact his office at 618-875-1212 or Greenwood’s office at 618-646-9557.

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) is encouraging local businesses to apply for the second wave of Back to Business grants, which closes on Oct. 13.

“Throughout the pandemic, our small businesses have remained assets to the Metro East community, despite all the struggles they faced,” Belt said. “It’s important for us all to be gracious to those who showed up, and for those businesses to get the aid they deserve from our government.”

EAST ST. LOUIS – To promote the Back to Business Grant Program, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) is inviting small business owners to participate in an informational webinar about eligibility and the application process.

Belt is partnering with Representatives LaToya Greenwood and Jay Hoffman, along with business leaders from Small Business Development Centers and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, to host a free webinar for small business owners who need assistance applying for the Back to Business grant program at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

“Small businesses have been one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic. It is our duty to help businesses get back on their feet and continue successfully serving residents in our communities,” Belt said. “I encourage small businesses in need of funding to join us and find out if your business is eligible and how to apply.”

The $250 million Back to Business program offers eligible small businesses one-time grants of up to $150,000 to cover operation costs, staff payroll and other expenses. To qualify, a business must have made $20 million or less in revenue in 2019 and be able to demonstrate a reduction in revenue in 2020.

Participants will learn about eligibility, priority industries, disproportionately impacted areas and documentation requirements. Information regarding community navigators, which are able to assist businesses with the online application portal, will also be available.

Registration is required and can be found at SenatorBelt.com/B2B.

If business owners have questions about the event, Belt encourages them to contact his office at 618-875-1212 or visit SenatorBelt.com.

SPRINGFIELD – After countless hours of negotiations, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) released the following statement in support of the comprehensive energy package that prioritizes jobs in the energy workforce:

“As we move toward making Illinois a national leader in the clean energy conversation, we are ensuring families who rely on energy-related jobs are protected. This landmark legislation prioritizes the hardworking people of Illinois’ energy industry. 

EAST ST. LOUIS – After a busy legislative spring session, Illinoisans will benefit from a number of new laws championed by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea).

“This spring I was able to pass more than a dozen new laws, including water and sewer assistance to low-income residents, help for service members who wish to receive their professional licenses quicker, and a requirement for state parks to fly three flags that represent our freedom,” Belt said. “I look forward to seeing these newly signed laws create a long-term benefit for the residents of the 57^th District and all Illinoisans.”

SPRINGFIELD – Service members and their spouses will receive professional licenses faster in Illinois thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that was signed into law Sunday.

The measure will make transitions easier for those whose jobs depend on having a professional license and whose living arrangements are often changed by a deployment or cross-country transfer. An airman's spouse who works as an optometrist, for instance, would have an easier time receiving their license to practice in Illinois after transferring to Scott Airforce Base under the plan.

SPRINGFIELD – School districts will create a food sharing program for unused food that students can take home thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that was signed into law today.

“All children need food to thrive, especially when they leave school,” Belt said. “This program builds upon the state’s breakfast and lunch program that is already in place to ensure that kids are fed three healthy meals a day.”

The new law requires all school districts to incorporate a food sharing plan for unused food into their local wellness policy. The program will focus on needy students, with the plan being developed and supported jointly by the district’s local health department.

Currently, every school in Illinois must offer its free lunch and breakfast program to all eligible students. To be eligible, a student must be the recipient of SNAP benefits or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.

Similar programs already exist in states, such as Indiana. School districts partner with non-profits to take leftover food and prepare frozen take-home meals for students over the weekends.

“Leftover food should not be thrown away, especially when people are in need,” Belt said. “Many families struggle to keep food on the table and this program will help ensure that our youth are not going to bed hungry.”

The law takes effect immediately.