Struggling Brookline Businesses, This Committee Wants To Help

BROOKLINE, MA —Even in the best of times, it takes a lot of grit for a mom-and-pop business to stay the course, let alone amid the massive roadblocks the coronavirus pandemic has created.

Months after several businesses were forced to close or drastically reduce their business because of the pandemic, business owners are still struggling to find - or understand - resources from Congress, and funding from state and other municipal agencies.

Brookline's Kara Brewton and Meredith Mooney want businesses to know that the Brookline Planning Department and the Small Business Development Committee are working to help connect local small business owners or answer questions.

"We just want people to know we're here and that they are not alone and we have resources," said Brewton.

As part of that effort, the Small Business Development Committee has hosted a series of virtual meetings with dozens of businesses for the past 15 weeks to update Brookline’s small business community on the Town’s response to the pandemic, answer any questions, connect business owners with resources and hear from about the challenges that businesses are currently facing.

Anyone from the business community is welcome to attend the regular meetings. Select Board Member Raul Fernandez, who is the Small Business Development committee chair usually opens the meeting with updates, the Economic Development Division and Health Department staff give updates and then there is time for questions, according to Mooney.

But even if you haven’t been able to make the virtual meetings, local resources are constantly being updated at: on the town's website, including how restaurants and retailers are allowed to use public property without any fees or public hearings.

The next meeting is at 9 a.m. July 9