By Naeisha Rose
First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica launched its first of its monthly Business Development & Empowerment Workshops Saturday.
The purpose of the workshops — held every third Saturday at the Magill Hall-Library, located at 89-60 164th St. — is to help budding entrepreneurs strengthen their business and to help those with business ideas start one now that developers are investing in the Jamaica area.
The first workshop was an explainer on securing funding, and applicants had the opportunity to receive a First Presbyterian Church Micro Loan.
“This is us trying to stimulate business ownership with congregants at First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica,” said Ishmael Carter, the congregant who helped organize the event.
After seeing the rapid development in the region, Carter and fellow parishioner Dora Griszell knew they didn’t want people from the area and the church to be left behind on what was happening.
“Just out of concern for our church community, we saw that the neighborhood is taking off, but not everyone was engaged in the new infrastructure of that,” said Carter. “Rev. Patrick O’Connor is a visionary, and he said that ‘church is more than a building.’ So we decided we have to engage those who wanted to start a business but didn’t know how.”
Through their LOGOS (Word of God) ministry, families that volunteer their services to different causes, like breast cancer walks, girls and boy scouts clubs, and educational initiatives, pooled their money together to fund the micro loans.
“We are going to provide initial funding from our own budget, and then SPA (a Peace Corps community development grant) provides funding, and then we will help them find other avenues of funding in the local area. We want to be the bridge for aspiring entrepreneurs,” Carter said.
The church hopes the loans will help residents that had problems finding funding, like those forced into retirement or laid off, into pursuing their dreams of financial independence, while also doing something they are passionate about.
The micro loans will help with providing furnishing, computers and networking events. The workshops will help people learn how to find the “right people, the right investment opportunities and the right location to start their businesses,” Carter said.
“If we could help one person, I feel like we accomplished something.”
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
