By Amanda White

Thirty-two small businesses in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes received additional recovery funds through a partnership of the Cheniere Energy Foundation and the SWLA Alliance Foundation. The grants were distributed to small businesses that are owned by minorities and/or women and located within Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes.

“In light of all the challenges the last twelve months have brought, Cheniere is proud to support a wide range of local businesses in Southwest Louisiana. We are confident that the funds we have contributed will help provide critical aid to our neighboring small businesses, allowing them to recover quicker and stronger,” Laura Ferrell, Government and Public Affairs – Louisiana for Cheniere Energy.

This is the third round of funding to the “Pathway to Small Business Recovery” program helmed by the SWLA Alliance Foundation. “Each round has had a slightly different focus as stipulated by the sponsors which has led to opportunities for all types of small businesses to get extra funding to help during this difficult time. Southwest Louisiana businesses could never have planned for two hurricanes, an ice storm and a pandemic within a 12-month span,” stated George Swift, President/CEO of the SWLA Economic Development Alliance and its Foundation.

Each applicant had to prove that they were:

• a for-profit company in business for two years,
• registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State,
• minority and/or Woman Owned,
• within Cameron or Calcasieu Parish,
• have less than 25 employees,
• and how they planned to use the grant.

This program was initially made possible by a $150,000 seed grant from the Sempra Energy Foundation and followed up with a second round of funds from the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana.