Millions in pandemic relief will be available to hair care professionals in Pennsylvania who are struggling to recover from the COVID-19 shutdowns. | Pixabay
Millions in pandemic relief will be available to hair care professionals in Pennsylvania who are struggling to recover from the COVID-19 shutdowns. | Pixabay
Pennsylvania hairstylists, barbers and other image professionals could receive a much-needed financial boost to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to $20 million in specialized funding from the American Rescue Plan.
Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said the money will provide "direct support" to businesses that suffered as a result of a halt to in-person services at the height of the pandemic in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
"As the pandemic spread last year, these small businesses did what we asked them to do and were among the hardest hit," Pennsylvania Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), Senate Democratic appropriations chairman, told the Governor's Office. "Unlike restaurants and other businesses, there were no regulatory work-arounds or socially distanced options. You can't give a drive-through haircut. For some, this will mean survival."
The $20 million in grant funding announced in the latest round of pandemic relief will be for businesses that previously applied for but never received any help from grants awarded in 2020.
There are more than 1,200 small business that qualify for this round of assistance from the federal American Rescue Plan.
According to figures released from the governor's office, $225 million was allocated last year to help small businesses in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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