Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 10, 2012

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $488K FOR JOB CREATION ENGINE AT MARIST COLLEGE– WOMEN’S ENTERPRISE CENTER TO RECEIVE EDA FUNDING TO BOOST HUDSON VALLEY’S ECONOMY AFTER IRENE AND LEE

New Program at Hancock Technology Center at Marist College to Help Create HV Jobs; Diversify Economy

Schumer: EDA Disaster Relief to Help Strengthen Businesses Against Future Storms

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced $488,000 in federal funding was awarded to the Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Disaster Relief Opportunity program. The Women’s Enterprise Development Center will use the funding to create a program that aims to minimize further job loss from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee and help employers by promoting job creation, supporting economic diversification, and fostering disaster resiliency at the new Hancock Technology Center at Marist College.

“This federal EDA investment has great potential to promote job creation in the Hudson Valley and help local workers and small business owners who are still rebuilding after last year’s storms and floods,” Senator Schumer. “I applaud the EDA for delivering this funding to the Women’s Enterprise Development Center, which will not only help businesses and individuals recover from previous storms, but help strengthen the Hudson Valley economy against future storms.”

Specifically, this EDA investment supports the Women’s Enterprise Development Center’s work to establish a satellite small business and entrepreneurial outreach program at the new Hancock Technology Center at Marist College. The goal of this new center will be to sustain and grow private sector business in the Hudson Valley. By diversifying the local economy, this project will increase the Hudson Valley’s resiliency to future disasters following Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene.

The Women's Enterprise Development Center Inc. (WEDC) is a not-for-profit microenterprise development program, which was formed in 1997 to help women achieve economic self-sufficiency through small business development. According to WEDC, their mission is to build a vibrant community of women entrepreneurs by providing high quality entrepreneurial training programs and support services to both start-up and established women business owners in Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley, including training and access to microenterprise funding for minority and economically disadvantaged women.

The EDA’s Disaster Relief Opportunity program provides investments to help communities and regions devise and implement long-term economic redevelopment strategies through a variety of construction and non-construction projects, as appropriate, to address economic development challenges in regions impacted by a major Federally declared disaster that was designated between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011.

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