AWC Small Business Development Center receives $50K economic development grant
October 9, 2023Yuma, AZ (October 9, 2023) – The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco recently announced the Arizona Western College Small Business Development Center as the recipient of a 2023 AHEAD Grant to be used for economic development.
AHEAD Grants are delivered annually through FHLBank San Francisco’s member financial institutions to local community organizations for projects and programs that offer benefits to lower-income and underserved communities. As an FHLBank San Francisco member, AEA Federal Credit Union worked with the AWC SBDC and Campesinos Sin Fronteras to apply for the grant. Each organization was awarded with a $50,000 grant.
“We are blessed to live in a community that cares so deeply about helping each other,” said Adele Sandberg, President and CEO of AEA Federal Credit Union. “This year’s grant recipients do that every day by supporting and nurturing entrepreneurs in our community and by advocating for and educating seasonal and migrant farmworkers and their families.”
The AWC SBDC is part of the Arizona Small Business Development Center (AZSBDC) Network which works to help launch, grow, and sustain small businesses in Arizona. The AHEAD grant will support their efforts to expand in-person small business services for underserved minority rural low to moderate-income communities. The program provides entrepreneurs in Yuma and La Paz counties with the education, guidance, and tools to establish a clear path to empowerment and continued economic and community prosperity.
“We are grateful to AEA Federal Credit Union and FHLBank San Francisco for this generous grant,” said Crystal Mendoza, Director of AWC SBDC. “This grant will allow us to retain staff, pay for travel expenses to rural areas to conduct counseling sessions, cover marketing and advertisement, supplies, and materials for the program.”
Reetika Dhawan, AWC Entrepreneurial College Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Workforce & Healthcare, stated, “Crystal Mendoza embodies dedication and unwavering commitment. Her relentless pursuit of excellence has not only earned our deepest admiration but also secured vital funds worth $50,000 for our local SBDC. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to AEA for their invaluable support in propelling our community's entrepreneurial dreams to new heights.”
Since the inception of the AHEAD grant program in 2004, FHLBank San Francisco has awarded more than $25 million in AHEAD grants to over 800 economic development projects in Arizona, California, and Nevada. In 2023, the Bank’s board of directors allocated $4 million to the AHEAD program, more than doubling the funding in prior years, and awarded grants to 75 projects.
“We are proud to support our member AEA Federal Credit Union’s partnerships with Campesinos Sin Fronteras and Arizona Western College’s Small Business Development Center. Each year we are inspired by the wide range of impactful programs that are brought to us by our member institutions using the AHEAD program,” said Eric Cicourel, senior vice president and community investment officer at FHLBank San Francisco. “The community organizations that AEA is supporting this year are no exception, as they are both addressing critical needs in Yuma in innovative ways.”
For those interested in applying for the AHEAD Program in 2024, please contact AEA Federal Credit Union or visit the FHLBank San Francisco website to learn more.
Contact:
Crystal Mendoza
Small Business Development Center Director
Arizona Western College
Crystal.Mendoza@azwestern.edu
(928) 317-6152
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Caption information:
Pictured from left to right: Mayte Magdaleno Muñiz, AWC SBDC Administrative Assistant I; Mary Carmen Lopez, AWC SBDC Business Counselor; Mayra Franquez, AWC SBDC Business Counselor; Crystal Mendoza, Director of the Small Business Development Center; Leticia Williams, AWC SBDC Business Counselor; Adele Sandberg, AEA President/CEO; Emma Torres, Executive Director of Campesinos Sin Fronteras; Chris Bolin, AEA SD/Community Impact Officer; and Nancy Blitz, Campesinos Sin Fronteras Board Vice President.