The JP UP Date: Regions Foundation Supports Small Businesses

Katie ArnoldThe JP UP date

Number 66                             May 15, 2020                                   St. Louis

Regions Foundation Provides JP with Grant Assistance to Aid Small Businesses 
The Regions Foundation recently provided grant assistance to 10 community development organizations and CDFIs (community development financial institutions) that are aiding small businesses impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. An Alabama-based nonprofit initiative of Regions Bank, the Regions Foundation supports community investments throughout the service footprint of Regions Bank.  The 10 grants recently announced total $260,000, which is part of a collective $5 million committed by the Regions Foundation and Regions Bank in support of consumer and small business recovery.  Justine PETERSEN is most grateful to the Regions Foundation and Regions Bank for their steadfast support.

The Pandemic Diaries:  Week Six

The Pandemic Diaries is a weekly reflection penned by individual Justine PETERSEN staff members in the style of journaling, chronicling the daily reality of working from home in the wake of Covid-19.  This week’s diary entry is written by Dorothy (Sugah) Burton, Small Business Senior Associate at Justine PETERSEN.

Just imagine working hard at your dream business only to have a pandemic sweep the globe and nearly, or totally, cost you your entire business or entire dream for that matter. To me a dream lost is devastating no matter how big or small.

Over the weekend a cosmetology school in North County had to completely close down, it brought tears to my eyes because all the aspiring students were left hanging cold, out of money and without transferable schooling options or credits.

My community can’t afford businesses to close down, we are actually working on building them up. Certain parts of St. Louis City were already in the middle of rebuilding and restructuring and then this. Talk about adversity.

So yes we work late, yes we work hard, and yes we work non-stop, but oh the reward of helping a small business STAY in business!
JP Board Member Allan Ivie Serves the Community – and Food
Allan Ivie, of Simmons Bank, is all about community.  A stalwart Justine PETERSEN board member, Allan also serves on the board of the Youth & Family Center, located at 12th and Cass on St. Louis’ near North Side.  With a 130 year history of serving the community, the Youth & Family Center offers an array of services to support familial self-sustainability.  Allan, pictured above on the far right, joined Youth & Family Center’s Executive Director Bridget Jones and her colleagues for a day of packaging food deliveries for local families facing challenging times during our pandemic reality.
Congratulations to the Graduate and New Full-time JP Staffer Maria Gomez!
Maria Gomez is the personification of commencement!  She not only just graduated from Lindenwood University, but she will also begin her new full-time job at Justine PETERSEN on June 1st.  Arriving in St. Louis from her home country of Venezuela in 2016 to attend Lindenwood University, Maria majored in Marketing, with a Minor in Advertising, and has completed two “tours of duty” as a marketing and communications intern with JP.  With her full-time appointment, Maria will also serve as part of JP’s dynamic development team.  DOUBLE CONGRATS MARIA!!!!