Dear Friends of Mountain Microenterprise Fund:
MMF urgently needs your help in advocating for several key funding sources that make up about 1/3 of our annual operating budget. With this money we can help train and/or lend to more than 600 entrepreneurs each year.
The time to take action is NOW! Senators and Representatives will be sending their “wish lists” of their priority appropriations to the Appropriations chairs in the next 2 weeks. We are lucky that our Congressman, Rep. Charles Taylor, sits on this important Appropriations Committee, and has advocated for us these past two years. If he again hears from a significant number of his constituents, he will prioritize it again amongst the tightest budget year we’ve had in years. Please do so by March 10th!
Here is what we need you to do:
-- Call, call, call! This is the single most important thing you can do to advocate for microenterprise and MMF.
Call Rep. Charles Taylor’s office (202) 225-6401 or (828)251-1988, ask for Adam Shepherd, the Legislative Director or any other Appropriations staffer, and let them know that you appreciate their key support from last year for the following bills and that this year we need Rep. Taylor to again request support as follows:
1. $20 million for SBA Microloan Lending, $17 million for Microloan Technical Assistance
2. $15 million for SBA PRIME
3. $16.5 million for the SBA Women's Business Centers Program
In Senator Richard Burr’s office, please call John Kane, 202-224-3154
In Senator Elizabeth Dole’s office, please call Robbie Boone, 202-224-6342
I just got off the phone with Adam earlier today. He is supportive of our work and knows about these programs’ importance to Western NC, but he still needs to hear from a significant number of people to help it become a priority for Rep. Taylor in a tight budget year. -- Write in! We have already prepared e-mail messages for you to send to Congress! Just go to www.mtnmicro.org and enter your zip code in the “Write to Congress” Box. You will automatically be taken to a pre-written letter. This process takes less than 2 minutes!
-- Forward this message! These programs impact Western NC. Please encourage others to take a few minutes out of their day to send in a pre-written email or make a phone call!
-- For more information on these programs, view the following link
5 comments:
Good work, Screwy. Do you know that I've consulted with MMF, the director is a neighbor, and E-spouse's Dad is the development director? So, very close ties to a great organization that is making positive change in WNC and the world!
I didn't know. That's fantastic. I went through their 6-week business course, and it was an incredibly empowering experience.
Screwy, you MMFer. Are you starting your own business? And did you see that MMF story in the newspaper a couple of weeks back?
ash,
I had ambitions of starting my own business about 3 years ago, but we just couldn't scrape together the startup cash. About a month after giving up on it, Rachael and I got an offer from our current contractors, Appalachian Counseling, that met every criteria we'd had for our own company.
No, I didn't see the article. I've got to start reading that newspaper...
Screwy,
You do need to be reading the AC-T, at least on-line!
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