Month: June 2020

Access to affordable, healthy foods is a challenge in many low-income communities, from large urban neighborhoods, to suburban and rural areas, as well as in communities of color. CDFIs have been working to create access to healthy foods and address food insecurity for decades. With the coronavirus pandemic impacting many families’ and individuals’ resources, businesses […]

Blog post by CDFI Coalition Board Member Anne Dyjak The COVID-19 health crisis has impacted nearly every household and business in this country. The pandemic has particularly highlighted the health disparities prevalent in low-income communities, which have historically suffered from significantly higher rates of chronic disease and behavioral health issues. These same communities are now experiencing the […]

Blog post by CDFI Coalition Board Chair John Holdsclaw, IV Since I became the Board Chair of the Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI Coalition), I have intended to write a blog post, but as they say, “sometimes life gets in the way.”  As I have watched the civil unrest and cries of social justice […]

Blog post by CDFI Coalition member Keith Bisson Small businesses are the core of Maine’s economy. In 2019, businesses defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as “small” (with fewer than 500 employees) made up 99 percent of all Maine Business and employed over half of the State’s workforce. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced many small […]

Blog post by CDFI Coalition member Marshall E. Crawford Less than a week before devastating tornadoes struck Tennessee, Ms. Natasha Lane had a conversation with her daughter about needing to renew her homeowner’s insurance. Then on March 3rd, 10 tornadoes touched down across the state, causing extensive damage to homes and businesses throughout the Nashville […]

Blog post author Bob Rapoza, CDFI Coalition Spokesperson We’ve all seen the devastating impact the coronavirus has had on the economy and small businesses nationwide, but particularly in low-income and minority communities. The average small business only has enough cash to survive 27 days and this is impacting employees and communities that depend on these […]