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Valley non-profit receives new grant to open a Women's Business Center

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Posted at 5:05 PM, Jan 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-12 19:24:19-05

Parents have been forced to take on more roles than ever before amid this pandemic.

For many families, mothers have become teachers and caretakers on top of their work duties.

Unique needs call for unique resources.

The Rebound Arizona has learned there will soon be options for female business owners and entrepreneurs to get help catered to their specific struggles. The U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded Chicanos Por La Causa a grant to open a Women's Business Center in the Valley.

"It's a blessing, you know," said female business owner, Alyssa Leon. "It's a privilege to be able to be invited into such (a) sacred space."

Leon's small business makes her part of what is likely the biggest moment in many people's lives: the birth of a child.

"There is a lot of fear surrounding birth," Leon explained. "It's society, it's... our friends, our family members and it's really just helping to normalize the birth experience."

Leon is the owner of Cherry Blossom Doula Services. They offer non-medical support with education, hands-on help, and resources for women and their partners before, during, and after delivery.

She is also a mom herself who understands the struggles of juggling life at home while helping bring life into this world.

Leon told the Rebound Arizona, being a female business owner is also not an easy endeavor, especially during a pandemic.

"Most women have gifts that they can share with our community... with everyone around them, but they don't have the confidence to do it," Leon said. "They don't have the tools. They don't have the resources."

That is why Leon was excited to learn about the new Women's Business Center that the SBA grant will help fund.

"If someone is interested in starting a business and they wanted some advice, they can get the advice," said Amber Cordoba. "If someone has a business and they need help with social media or understanding financial statements or anything that they need really for a business - they can come to us. They can work in-person with somebody one-on-one. They can take online classes... webinars. We have online programming."

Cordoba is with Prestamos CDFI. They partner with CPLC to offer loans and support for businesses.

They will be leading this new effort with an emphasis on women and they have a goal of serving at least 1,000 people in their first year.

"This is going to allow those women to potentially create a new career path for themselves," Cordoba said. "They're going to get the training and assistance they need to create a business."

While they understand the specific struggles women face, this free service is available to everyone and support can be found in both English and Spanish.

"Asking for help is not... doesn't make you weak," said Leon. "It just means that we're supposed to do life in community. We're not supposed to do it alone."

To register for more information on support, click here.