City of Camden Staff Available to Assist Small Business Owners Apply For SBA Disaster Loans

The City of Camden has announced it will make staff available to assist business owners as they apply for the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Loan Advances.

This is in response to the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act stimulus package, which includes small business relief in the form of Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Loan Advances, as well as other aid programs. The Small Business Administration has indicated that funds will be made available within three days of a successful application. More information about federal relief and assistance to small businesses can be found at www.sba.gov/coronavirus.

City staff will provide assistance to business owners primarily by phone or via web meetings, but will also be available for one-on-one meetings, by appointment only, at the Robert Mills Courthouse, 607 Broad Street. To make an appointment, business owners are encouraged to call the Robert Mills Courthouse at 803-432-2557 or call Katharine Spadacenta, Main Street Program Manager at 803-549-5648 or email at kspadacenta@camdensc.org to be connected to a City staff member for assistance.

The City continues to strongly request that employees for all businesses, as applicable, transition to a remote work model, or work from home, and that no social gatherings be held anywhere in the City until further notice. City Council and Mayor Alfred Mae Drakeford’s state of emergency declaration and nightly curfew from 10 pm to 5 am also remains in effect until further notice.

Governor Henry McMaster has ordered all nonessential businesses in the state to close for 15 days, beginning at 5:00 pm Wednesday, April 1st. According to the governor’s office, if a business has a question as to whether they qualify as essential, business representatives can call 803-734-2873 or send an email to covid19sc@sccommerce.com.

City staff will continue to monitor the COVID-19 virus and make operational decisions as necessary. The Kershaw County government has activated a COVID-19 hotline. The public is encouraged to call the COVID-19 hotline at 803-425-7242 and monitor information and updates at SC DHEC’s website www.scdhec.gov/covid19 or the Kershaw County website www.kershaw.sc.gov/coronavirus.