HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) \u2013 The Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institution, also known as the CDFI Network, is asking lawmakers for $10 million for its business services and to make sure it can serve every county. The network also wants $100 million for its small business loan fund.<\/p>\n
A rally was held at the State Capitol on Wednesday to call for this funding.<\/p>\n
Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n SIGN UP NOW<\/p>\n Gloria Ward owns Tailored Glory Consulting Group in Enola, Cumberland County. She said her business wouldn’t be able to offer its therapy or consulting services to people across Pennsylvania without the $25,000 loan she received from the CDFI network.<\/p>\n “Different types of banks, with my situation, would have said no,” Ward said.<\/p>\n The CDFI network offers financial help to small businesses in underserved communities. It also provides business counseling and technical assistance services.<\/p>\n “85% of the new jobs are created by small businesses. Violence is more highly correlated with poverty and lack of economic opportunities,” said Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia).<\/p>\n Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) told abc27 that lawmakers need to do whatever they can to help small businesses, as long as it doesn’t burden taxpayers.<\/p>\n “We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem,” said Bartolotta. “So many of the things that we have been doing in Pennsylvania for years and years and years has been just hammering away at small business. I was a small business owner for 31 years. I had an oil change business.”<\/p>\n