Greetings from our SKED staff and Board of Directors.
As we continue to navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions it carries, I am providing this update on our operations. Because our loan clients and the small business owners we serve are our first priority, we have abided by Governor Beshear’s order to stay at home whenever possible, wear masks when meeting with clients and are adhering to social distancing. The necessary and responsible action of staying apart means our meetings with partners and others have been conducted via Zoom call whenever possible.
Recently, our team returned to work at The Center for Rural Development. While at work, we are wearing masks in common areas and have relocated some staff to other locations. We are working to sanitize our work spaces and equipment daily and have implemented a plan to keep any employee who has been in direct contact with someone with COVID-19 or is showing symptoms of the virus themselves to quarantine for 14 days.
We added a COVID-19 section to our website early on to enable loan clients and partners to access information on our plans and priorities. We are continuing to work with our existing loan clients to ensure their businesses continue to remain strong during the shutdown.
Our small business training staff has cancelled and rescheduled all in-person trainings for future dates and held others online, when possible.
Having said all of this, we are excited to see businesses opening back up and want to remind you we are here to support through free technical assistance and lending opportunities when needed.
We will continue to keep our website updated on the status of events and classes and hope to be able to share our next season’s offerings as they become available.
Sincerely,
Brett Traver
Executive Director
