Broadband Accessibility and Agriculture Grants Available
August 17, 2020
Governor Kay Ivey has announced multiple grants of which your clients or community may be unaware. We wrote about one such program called REVIVE Alabama a short time ago, but several have been announced recently. The two new grant programs, $100 million for internet vouchers for school-age children and $26 million for agriculture, are funded by money received by the state under the federal CARES Act. Here is information on each grant program.
Alabama Broadband Connectivity
With many schools starting back virtually, internet is a must for children to participate in distance learning. Governor Ivey announced a program called Alabama Broadband Connectivity (ABC) for students to help families with school-age children without internet to get service. Children are eligible if enrolled in the National School Lunch Program. For those who are already enrolled, a voucher will be mailed at the end of August.
Some children may not currently be enrolled in the Lunch Program, but may be eligible to enroll, especially in light of high unemployment caused by COVID-19. Those who believe they are eligible but are not already enrolled in the Lunch Program should call their school to be added.
Administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), you can visit their website here for more information on the ABC for students program.
Alabama Agriculture Stabilization Program
Agriculture is a huge part of Alabama’s industry, and farmers have certainly been impacted by interruptions caused by COVID-19. To help ease the burden of the effects of the pandemic, Governor Ivey announced the Alabama Agriculture Stabilization Program on August 12. Financial allocations from the program will be split between cattle, poultry and catfish farmers, nursery growers, meat processing plants, and fruit and vegetable processors. The program will be administered by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, which is developing the application process for the new program. More information to follow.