Sarno announces recipients of 13th round of ARPA funds

Date: 7/25/2023

SPRINGFIELD — In the 13th round of American Rescue Plan Act funds, Mayor Domenic Sarno announced that $2.16 million will be awarded to small and new businesses and nonprofits in the city of Springfield.

Sarno was joined by Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan to announce the awards on July 19.
Of the $2.16 million, $942,656 will be awarded to new businesses, $725,800 will be awarded to small businesses and $492,041 will be awarded to nonprofits.

The businesses and nonprofits and the funding they received are as follows:

• Allston Supply — $75,000
• Baked Beauty Bar — $35,000
• CMJ Paving & Landscaping — $75,000
• Dino’s Auto Repair — $15,000
• Ethics LLC — $25,000
• Grez Automotive — $10,000
• LaFritura Restaurant — $50,000
• Maggie’s Pizzeria — $15,000
• Nolan Wells, Inc. — $20,000
• P2B Springfield, LLC — $40,000
• SnapChef — $100,000
• Youth on the Move — $110,000
• Arrow Medical Transportation — $85,000
• Hanna’s Diner & Deli Shoppe — $30,000
• Martie’s Floating Event Planning, LLC — $20,000
• Weemans Custom Vinyl — $20,800
• A.P.E. Wellness, LLC — $25,000
• Afghan Hala Market of Western Mass — $15,000
• Blyther’s Transportation and Delivery Service, LLC — $30,000
• Bori Chino — $20,000
• Break Time Springfield — $15,000
• Bridge2Homecare LLC — $40,000
• BuildEmUp Fitness — $40,000
• Cana Café Bar and Restaurant — $20,000
• Car Connect Auto Sales — $20,000
• CCR Freight Logistics, LLC — $40,000
• Coalition of Experienced Black Educators — $40,000
• D’s Dishes — $20,000
• Ebenezer Daycare — $20,000
• First Generation Wealth Builders Association — $40,000
• Fly-Ty LLC — $15,000
• Frederick William Music — $20,000
• Higher Expectations — $30,000
• Kwik Fix Automotive — $20,000
• L & M Hospitality Group d/b/a All American Sports Bar Grill and Patio — $40,000
• L’Amour Restaurant — $35,000
• Latino Marketing Agency — $40,000
• Marlee’s Bar and Grill — $20,000
• Napoli Pizzeria and Restaurant — $20,000
• Natural Living Landscapes — $17,656
• Osteria by Berman’s Food — $20,000
• PH 650 LLC — $30,000
• Redd’s Flowers and More d/b/a Knots LLC — $20,000
• Renown Comfort Homecare — $15,000
• Replenish Biofuels — $20,000
• Rose Entertainment — $15,000
• Springfield 413 Elite — $40,000
• The Artist Café — $40,000
• The Movement Lab — $40,000
• The Urban Food Brood — $25,000
• Uni Vib3s Wellness Space — $15,000
• Zo Lit Lifestyle — $20,000
• Macedonia Church — $225,000
• The New Life Center for Recovery — $100,000
• Regreen Springfield — $50,000
• Progressive Community Baptist Church — $99,000
• Third Baptist Church — $18,041

Several awardees took to the podium to thank Sarno and his team for the funds.

To date, Springfield has committed $115.8 million of the original $123.8 million of local ARPA funding. Sarno shared that nearly 88% of those funds has gone to women and minority owned businesses.
He went on to say that almost all ARPA funding has been awarded. It must be committed by 2024 and allocated by fiscal year 2026.

In addition, Sarno is creating the Springfield Higher Education ARPA fund for Springfield students. He explained that $750,000 in ARPA funding will be designated to achieve the long-term economic, educational and cultural benefits that come with higher education. This is in partnership with three Springfield based higher education institutions — American International College, Springfield College and Western New England University, along with Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield.

“Such student engagement will be prioritized for students in the fields of criminal justice, nursing/healthcare and education and those fields of study deemed essential in times of natural disasters,” Sarno said. “The funding will also be used in developing programs that engage students at the graduate degree level in addressing the ongoing challenges regarding community mental health and healthcare.”

This fund will be administered by the Development Services Division, who will also be applying for more state and federal funding to support the pilot initiative.

“This first of its kind initiative will provide our Springfield students a financial program to help them achieve their education goals which in turn will help add to our workforce and boost our local economy,” Sarno said.

Sheehan thanked Sarno for this round of ARPA funds, along with the mental health programs that it will address.

“Everyone on the city side has stepped up and got this done,” Sheehan said.

During the press conference, Sarno also provided an update on direct assistance for Springfield households, with Public Partnership LLC acting as the third party reviewing the eligibility and awarding process of pending ARPA Direct Household Assistance. To date, over 5,000 applications have been reviewed and approved with more than $7 million being directly awarded to Springfield residents and households. Pending applications continue to be reviewed for eligibility, to which Sarno thanked everyone for their patience and understanding.