The following is the open letter that HFLA of Northeast Ohio has sent to Ohio representatives and senators to address our community’s need for cash payments to alleviate the economic burden of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

November 18, 2020

Dear Honorable Representatives and Senators of Ohio:

Representative Fudge

Representative Kaptur

Representative Gonzalez

Representative Ryan

Representative Joyce

Representative Gibbs

Representative Johnson

Representative Jordan

Senator Brown

Senator Portman

COVID-19 has put many of our fellow Americans on the brink of financial ruin. As we have throughout our 116-year history, HFLA of Northeast Ohio has responded to this crisis by issuing interest free loans to individuals without access to conventional financing, regardless of their identity. Due to this emergency our loan volume has increased by 20%, but our inquiries have increased by nearly 400%. People are pleading for help. The calls we receive range from individuals whose unemployment benefits are not nearly enough to make ends meet; parents who are forced to stay home from work while their children are learning remotely; family members who must stay outside the home to quarantine; workers who only received partial income while they were out sick…and many others we are unable to help because they need more than we can offer and lack the ability to repay a loan. Unlike Congress, who holds legislative power, our funds are limited, and we count on our dollars being repaid before we can lend them again.

Therefore, we urge the issuer of U.S. Dollars, the Federal government, to begin making generous cash payments to all Americans in need. This should be done urgently, and on a recurring basis as long as this pandemic and its aftershocks persist. Any style of relief is better than nothing, but all other forms to date have been too slow and convoluted and allowed many faultless people to fall through the cracks.

We will continue to do everything we can, but as a legislator in Washington D.C., we hope you realize the uniqueness of your position at this historic moment and use it to deliver what only you can-direct cash payments.

Sincerely,

Michal Marcus, Executive Director 

Laura Kleinman, HFLA Board President

HFLA Staff: Hillary Butler, Katy Fuerst, Brady Gasser, Leslie Wright

Board of Directors: Lisa Arlyn Lowe, Karil Bialostosky, Jonathan Brown, David Edelman, Lorie Gelb, Eric Kaston, Scott Lewis, Irwin Lowenstein, Carrie Miller, Stuart Ostro, Jason Powers, Brian Rosenfelt, Debra Shaw, Dara Weinerman-Steinberg, Christine Weiss, Carol Willen

Join us and the Ohio CDC Association, on November 19, 2020 for Call-In Day to demand the Senate immediately pass a coronavirus relief bill that includes essential housing and homelessness resources and protections that have already cleared the U.S. House.

What you can say when you call:

• Nearly 250,000 Ohio Households are behind on rent.

• 86,000 Ohio households are concerned they will be evicted in the next 2 months.

• CARES Act funding for emergency rental assistance expires December 31st.

• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium expires December 31st.

• Ohio and the nation face a major eviction crisis in 2021 if Congress doesn’t pass a relief bill with significant funding for housing assistance immediately.

• Please join Senator Brown in supporting $100 billion for emergency rental assistance and $11.5 billion for homeless programs in the next coronavirus relief bill.

For more information about Coronavirus relief negotiations and National Call-In Day, see this recent update from our friends, the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Information retrieved from the Ohio CDC Association. 

Press release from the Healthy Lakewood Foundation.

Find an official .pdf of the press release here: Healthy Lakewood Foundation Second Cycle of Grants Press Release. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2020
Contact: Jeanine Gergel, Healthy Lakewood Foundation Board President
healthylakewoodfoundation@gmail.com

Healthy Lakewood Foundation Announces Second Cycle of Grants to Address COVID-19 Community Needs

The Healthy Lakewood Foundation (HLF) board of directors awarded the following grants at its May 2020 meeting in an ongoing effort to address community needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic:
● Department of Human Services, City of Lakewood: $60,000 for resident emergency needs
● HFLA of Northeast Ohio: $57,500 to establish a pool of Covid-19 emergency loans exclusively for Lakewood residents
● Asian Services in Action, Inc. (ASIA, Inc.): $15,000 to meet the emergency needs of refugee and immigrant families in Lakewood

“The Healthy Lakewood Foundation board believes these three organizations are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of residents experiencing some of the most acute health and safety risks as well as those undergoing financial difficulties as a result of the public health crisis,” says HLF Board President Jeanine Gergel. “We are especially concerned about how the pandemic is impacting Lakewood’s most vulnerable residents and recognize our responsibility to make the resources we have been entrusted with available to assist them.”

The three newly announced grants are in addition to two previous grants awarded by HLF in March 2020 to Lakewood Community Services Center ($50,000) and Department of Human Services, City of Lakewood ($25,000), bringing the Foundation’s total year-to-date grantmaking to meet resident emergency needs to $207,500. Additional grants will be awarded later in the year as the evolving needs of the community resulting from the pandemic become more clearly understood. HLF will continue to assess community needs through proactive outreach with community leaders and service providers to identify funding opportunities for future phases of crisis response grantmaking. HLF will hold its second annual community meeting in September. Residents are encouraged to attend to share their perspectives on how COVID-19 is affecting community health and well-being as well as to hear more about the foundation’s vision and strategy. The meeting date and location will be announced later this summer.

Individuals interested in learning more about HFLA of Northeast Ohio’s COVID-19 emergency loan program and finding out if they qualify can visit the organization’s website at www.interestfree.org or can contact lending staff directly at team@interestfree.org .

About the Healthy Lakewood Foundation: The Healthy Lakewood Foundation (HLF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community foundation. HLF was created to ensure remaining assets from the conversion of the Lakewood Hospital will continue to benefit the health and wellness of residents in the City of Lakewood. HLF was established in September 2018 as part of the master agreement following the closing of Lakewood Hospital. HLF was formed from the Foundation Planning Task Force and through their recommendation to the City of Lakewood and the Lakewood Hospital Association.

To contact HLF, please visit www.healthylakewoodfoundation.org or email healthylakewoodfoundation@gmail.com .
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Press release from the Healthy Lakewood Foundation.

Find an official .pdf of the press release here: Healthy Lakewood Foundation Second Cycle of Grants Press Release. 

Excerpt from Crain’s Cleveland Article. Read full article here: crainscleveland.com.

“HFLA of Northeast Ohio, a nonprofit lender based in Beachwood, quickly rolled out a disaster relief loan program for businesses that sustained riot damage. Companies can apply for interest-free loans of up to $10,000 to cover immediate costs while an insurance claim is pending or to pay expenses including deductibles.

Michal Marcus, executive director of the 116-year-old organization, said HFLA typically works with clients who can’t get conventional loans. Most downtown retailers don’t meet that metric. In this case, though, HFLA wanted to make sure small businesses that already are struggling had swift access to funds so vandalism doesn’t lead to more vacancy.

“Ground-floor establishments suffered the most, and they were the ones that were already suffering,” said Joe Roman, CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. “That tandem of experiences, I think, is going to result in a very long rebuild for downtown. Hopefully, we can figure out a way to provide financial assistance.”

At the end of 2019, downtown’s retail vacancy rate was just over 11%, according to the CBRE Group Inc. real estate brokerage. That figure doesn’t account, though, for dozens of empty storefronts that aren’t being marketed because they’re earmarked for eventual redevelopment. This year, a few large restaurants have closed, largely due to financial woes that predated the pandemic.

Some businesses, including Zanzibar, which already had a robust takeout and delivery operation, managed to stay open during March and April. Others returned in mid-May, only to shut down again as a result of the riot and a city-imposed curfew that required a near-lockdown of downtown for the first half of last week.

‘This is definitely going to be a major, major setback,” said Dominic Fanelli, owner of the Chocolate Bar restaurant on Euclid Avenue. “I think everybody’s going 24 hours at a time.'”

Excerpt from Crain’s Cleveland Article. Read full article here: crainscleveland.com.

https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/

HFLA offers expedited loans up to $1,500 for those impacted by COVID-19

AMANDA KOEHN | LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE EDITOR
akoehn@cjn.org

After Gov. Mike DeWine closed all Ohio schools March 12, the Hebrew Free Loan Association Of Northeast Ohio didn’t waste time enacting an expedited emergency loan program, which loans individuals up to $1,500 interest free.

The next day, the Beachwood-based organization received 60 calls, and the number only increased after bars and restaurants were ordered to shut down in the days following.

The loans are meant for Northeast Ohioans who have been impacted in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic, whether that means loss of income, a sudden need for funds to pay for child care or another need. 

Executive Director Michal Marcus said the organization typically requires a guarantor on loans it offers up to $10,000. For the expedited $1,500 loans, all that’s required to apply is an application and documentation. 

“These are being written directly to individuals because we know if you are a restaurant worker, or in some type of service industry that isn’t working now and you aren’t getting income, you are going to need that money to buy groceries, you are going to need that money to pay a babysitter,” Marcus said. “There are needs where we can’t write it directly to the source of need.”

In the first week of expedited loans, HFLA was able to provide same-day turnaround on the loans once an application was complete and a promissory note was signed. HFLA is using DocuSign so the loans can be signed electronically.

Marcus said because her organization is now working remotely, checks could take three to five days to appear for loans because “it’s coming directly from the bank and we are trying to have as little physical touch as possible.”

In the first week of the program, Marcus said she saw “a lot of anxiety” around the impact of the pandemic and the unknown end date. 

She said the first person to receive an emergency loan was a single mother working at University Hospitals who now needs to pay for child care since her children are out of school. More loans went to those in the restaurant industry, and she’s been contacted by substitute teachers who don’t get paid if they aren’t in school. 

The HFLA expedited loans are generally targeted toward individuals, although Marcus said small businesses are also likely to suffer and need larger loans. 

Marcus also said she was grateful for HFLA’s supporters who have reached out to ask how they can help the organization continue on its path. 

“That has been kind of heartwarming to know – seeing how much people care,” she said. “And we do need it, our funds will run out.”

For more information, visit interestfree.org.

2019 was a record year for HFLA of Northeast Ohio.

We have seen a remarkable jump in loans disbursed, are moving more Northeast Ohioans toward financial stability, and are now able to plan steady and deliberate growth into the future.

This exemplary year would have never been possible without the dedication and advocacy of our supporters. With the continued commitment of our donors, board members, loan recipients, and staff we can maintain this growth that has built upon itself for the last 115 years and perpetuate HFLA’s ability to strengthen individuals and families into the future.

For the first time in over two decades we disbursed 100 loans in the year, surpassing 2018’s loan disbursements by 23 loans. This significant jump clearly shows the impact of our dollars at work. These interest free loans directly impacted 266 individuals within Northeast Ohio and countless others when considering the economic impact of the small business loan recipients.

We continued our efforts to financially empower our loan recipients, and are happy to announce that 100% of 2019’s loan recipients are having their loans reported to the three major credit bureaus. This is moving them closer to their financial goals and increasing their financial stability. Building and maintaining positive credit is a major stepping stone towards financial freedom for many of our borrowers. In making timely payments on our loans, our borrowers are heading toward becoming capable of receiving traditional financing for mortgages and personal loans in the future.

With the growth that HFLA has experienced, and the clear demand for affordable capital in the region, we know that we need to create clear and concrete steps towards the future. This year, HFLA of Northeast Ohio will be creating a new strategic plan to chart the next 3-5 years. In creating this plan we will keep our stakeholders at the forefront of our conversations and will continue to rely on our core supporters and community advocates. 

We will engage these voices to establish strategies that ensure stable growth and increases our ability to empower our shared community towards financial freedom and self-sufficiency.

Get involved and stay up to date by subscribing to our quarterly newsletter or following us on social media.

About HFLA of Northeast Ohio

HFLA of Northeast Ohio was founded in 1904 with $501 donated by Charles Ettinger, Morris Black, and their friends to help European refugees settle and begin productive lives in this country. They believed – as we do now – that if you give someone a chance to succeed, they will pay it back and we can continue this transformative cycle. The same principle guides the organization today. By providing interest-free loans to individuals, families, and small businesses in the Northeast Ohio area, we are able to help people help themselves. The association has drastically increased its lending capital in the past few years from individual gifts, bequests, endowments, foundation grants, memorials and honorariums and is now operating with a loan fund of over $1 million. HFLA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Learn more about HFLA.

Latinx and African American Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

HFLA of Northeast Ohio received a generous grant from JumpStart allowing expansion of their small business lending activity in the region. With this support, HFLA will expand the number of interest-free loans of up to $10,000 available to minority-owned small businesses needing capital but lacking access to traditional lending sources.

“We are thrilled JumpStart understands the pressing need small business owners have for alternative lending in the form of interest-free loans.  This grant gives HFLA the opportunity to increase lending capacity and reach more entrepreneurs who need access to affordable capital,” shared Michal Marcus HFLA Executive Director.

“JumpStart’s mission is to unlock the full potential of diverse and ambitious entrepreneurs to grow their businesses, create jobs and economically transform our community,” JumpStart’s CEO Ray Leach shared. “HFLA is a trusted community organization with an impressive history of interest-free lending. We are excited to support their efforts in lending more capital to Latinx and African American entrepreneurs and small business owners in the city of Cleveland.”

HFLA has been lending interest-free in Northeast Ohio since 1904. The past three years we have seen a significant increase in small business lending to minority owned businesses.

Additional information can be found at https://interestfree.org/.

About HFLA of Northeast Ohio

HFLA of Northeast Ohio was founded in 1904 with $501 donated by Charles Ettinger, Morris Black, and their friends to help European refugees settle and begin productive lives in this country. They believed – as we do now – that if you give someone a chance to succeed, they will pay it back and we can continue this transformative cycle. The same principle guides the organization today. By providing interest-free loans to individuals, families, and small businesses in the Northeast Ohio area, we are able to help people help themselves. The association has drastically increased its lending capital in the past few years from individual gifts, bequests, endowments, foundation grants, memorials and honorariums and is now operating with a loan fund of over $1 million. HFLA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Learn more about HFLA.

Last night, Cleveland Jewish News hosted the fifth annual 18 Difference Makers Awards Ceremony. HFLA of Northeast Ohio’s Executive Director, Michal Marcus, was honored as a Difference Maker for positively impacting the lives of Northeastern Ohioans for over thirteen years. Michal has been the Executive Director for the past six years, and the organization has grown tremendously under her leadership. HFLA had just under $300,000 in microloans on the street when Michal began leading the organization and now has over $1,000,000 in the hands of students, small business owners, and people in need of a hand up throughout our community. Michal believes that interest-free lending can make very big difference in the lives of people experiencing financial difficulties, and is proud of the fact that HFLA applies the Jewish principle of lending money interest-free to those in need to all of Northeast Ohio, regardless of religious affiliation. Mazel tov, Michal!

To read CJN’s article about Michal, click here.