ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For nearly two weeks, small businesses and their employees in St. Petersburg have been applying to the city’s “Fighting Chance Fund” as part of efforts to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

City officials say they’ve started to send out checks.

“Our goal is 10 business days from time of application to decision point and for it to be submitted through our finance system, so we are doing pretty well on that,” said St. Petersburg’s small business & entrepreneurship manager Jessica Eilerman.

As of Tuesday, the city had received 1,821 applications from local workers seeking the $500 grant. So far, 516 of them have been approved.

Meanwhile, 1,097 locally owned businesses have applied for the $5,000 grant through the fund and 117 have been approved at this point.

That number includes Blush Tea and Coffee owner Lori Bishop.

“That changes so many things,” Lori said. “We’re going to be able to pay our rent for the next few months, which then allows me to keep all my staff. I haven’t had to let anybody go.”

With more than $6,000,000 still left in the Fighting Chance Fund, city officials say their efforts are far from over.

“Right now we’re feeling good,” Eilerman said. “The fund is ample and so we believe that we’ll be able to serve more.  It’s really important to Mayor Kriseman and everyone with the city ... this cannot be a long, drawn-out process because the need is now.”

For more information about the Fighting Chance Fund, visit stpete.org/fightingchancefund.