A new year brings new investments in the Dane County community

Since COVID-19 first emerged in our community, Dane County has been working to bring people together for response and recovery. 

The Small Business Pandemic Support Grant Program we built with Dane Buy Local was one of the first efforts of its kind in the country. Started at first with county funds, this partnership has awarded $10.8 million to 2,700 Dane County businesses. This year we added $4 million to focus on helping local businesses hardest hit by 2020s fall COVID-19 surge, with grants up to $50,000.

The faces of this pandemic are many. Families in poverty are facing great challenges. That’s why we recently added $8 million to our partnership with the Tenant Resource Center to help those struggling with basic living expenses who may otherwise face eviction. Our first round of grants totaled $10 million and benefited more than 10,600 households. These new dollars will help meet past due rent and provide housing counseling and case management to help more families stay in their homes.

Our collaborative that links local farmers and growers with Dane County food pantries will continue this year. We recently provided Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin with $5 million to continue pairing locally grown produce, meats and cheeses with area pantries that continue to see greater need resulting from the pandemic. Since the start of COVID-19, Dane County has invested $13 million to help match our farmers with those struggling to put food on
the table.

Whether it be food insecurity, housing instability or mounting business expenses, Dane County laid the groundwork early in the pandemic to help our struggling neighbors. As the pandemic continues, so too will our commitment to caring for this community. COVID-19 has tested us, but by bringing people together the Dane County Way, we have forged common sense partnerships to get help to those in need.