‘Dear PoPville,
Many years before 2020, my DC-based retail business happily made requests from parents of local school children to make donations for their auctions and fundraisers. The support of our neighbors has made our business sustainable.
I recently received a donation request from the parent of a Capitol Hill public school in the area, and I want to let readers know that such requests are probably now difficult to accommodate for businesses that have managed it this year.
It hurts me to say that I can not help, but it is also uncomfortable for me to have to explain the reasons.
We had to take a PPP loan from the government so that we could hire our employees this past summer and we are not yet sure that it will be forgiven. We were fortunate to receive a disaster loan for economic injuries from the SBA, which we hope will enable us to withstand the ongoing storm. A 30-year-old owner is guilty of debt, even if the business fails. We are now praying for another round of PPP to prevent additional redundancies.
I am grateful for the financial support my business has received over the past year, but I am committed to using it responsibly. Parents realize that if your school fundraiser is such a wonderful ‘business development opportunity’, you do not have to ask for it, then I’ll stand in line to donate my money. I made the donations earlier because we had the means and it’s a nice thing to do.
I look forward to giving back to the community as soon as we can, but it’s still not a good time for many small businesses in DC.
Friendly greeting
One of your local retailer owners ”