SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Private Non-Profit Organizations in Alabama

ATLANTA--(Business Wire)--
TheU.S. Small Business Administration announces that certain Private Non-Profit
Organizations (PNPs) that do not provide critical services of a governmental
nature may be eligible to apply for low interest rate disaster loans. These
loans are available as a result of a Presidential Disaster declaration for
Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by severe storms, flooding and
tornadoes that occurred from April 10 - 13, 2009.

PNPs located in the following counties are eligible to apply to SBA: Cullman,
Dekalb, Jackson, Jefferson and Marshall counties in the State of Alabama.
Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited
to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers,
schools and colleges.

PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or
destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business
assets. The SBA also offers mitigation funds to disaster victims based on 20
percent of the verified physical damage. These funds are designed to help
borrowers pay for protective measures to minimize damages of the same kind in
the future.

The SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital
needs, such as ongoing operating expenses to PNP organizations of all sizes.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the
business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 4 percent with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts
and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant's financial
condition.

"PNP organizations are urged to contact their County Emergency Managers to
obtain information about local briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives
will need to provide information about their organization," said Frank Skaggs,
Director of SBA Field Operations Center East.

This information will be used to submit a "Request for Public Assistance" which
FEMA uses to determine if the PNP provides an essential governmental service and
meets the definition of a "critical facility". Based on that conclusion, FEMA
will either refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance or possibly
provide a "Public Assistance" reimbursement grant for eligible costs.

Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the
SBA's Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (for the
hearing-impaired 1-800-877-8339) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT, or by sending an email to
disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from
www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed
to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center,
14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Those affected by the disaster may apply for disaster loans from SBA's secure
website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July
7, 2009. The deadline to return economic injury applications is February 8,
2010.

For more information about the SBA`s Disaster Loan Programs, visit our website
at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

Release Number: 09-415, AL 11740/11741

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Mark Ihenacho, 404-331-0333

Copyright Business Wire 2009