Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2020

29 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.VOICEofMPpodcast.com The first round of money approved by Congress did indeed run out, though in June, there were still funds available from the second round. Stanford noted that as soon as the leadership team realized the credit union could offer PPP loans, they informed all their current business members by email. Regions Bank funded $4.8 billion in PPP loans in South Carolina and 14 other states, 98% of them for companies with fewer than 100 employees, according to Gina Bobon, manager of the Ben Sawyer Boulevard branch in Mount Pleasant. “Our customers could call us for help. If they needed assistance getting documentation, we were able to do that at the branch level,” said Bobon, who has been with Regions for 14 years. “The PPP program is important because small businesses help fuel our community. I was extremely proud that my company was doing everything we could to help our local businesses.” Among the local businesses Regions helped was HealthLinks , which received an $11,200 loan, according to Publisher Cullen Murray-Kemp. The loan enabled him to pay employees and take care of other critical expenses as well. “It was really a slow time for us. We were worried about having to furlough people. That money enabled us to do things we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise,” Murray-Kemp commented. The federal government will forgive the loans in full if recipients can show that they used at least 60% of the money for payroll and any remainder for benefits, mortgage interest payments, rent, utilities and interest payments on debt obligations incurred before Feb. 15, 2020. Cullen Murray-Kemp, publisher of HealthLinks. Photo by Jenn Cady. feature Let your pride for Mount Pleasant show while you're fighting the spread of the Coronavirus. Wear the official I Love Mount Pleasant Mask . DOCUMENTING COVID-19 Heroesof COVID-19 Pets Ease Stress of Shutdown LivingLifeApart,MovingForwardTogether When Life Stopped Virus Survivors ShareTheir Stories Cusesy's Barber Shop 1220 Ben Sawyer Blvd (843) 884-5757 Bubbles Gift Sho pe 2118 Hwy 41 843-800-0564 Backyard Retreats 554 Johnnie Dodds Blvd 843-856-0049 Southern Belle Northcutt Plaza 280 W Coleman B (843) 881-1741 BE PROUD, STAY HEALTHY High quality, comfortable and fits everyone with adjustable straps. Available at local stores for $15.00. Supplies are limited. Access one of the official locations to purchase your I Love MP mask at: www.ILoveMPmask.com