The City of Concord is supporting local business through the ARPA Small Business Reimbursement Grant. Eligible businesses that continue to experience adverse financial impact originating from COVID-19 can apply for a one-time grant of $5,000. This program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The application period will open on Monday, July 31 at 8 a.m. and close on Friday, August 11 at 5 p.m. Applicants can access a number of resources, including an instructional video and a schedule of office hours on the grant webpage. Assistance is also available in Spanish.

Visit tinyurl.com/reimbursementgrant to learn more about the ARPA Small Business Reimbursement Grant.

We are partnering with Yiftee, an online gift card and promotion platform, to encourage customers to Shop Concord by offering the “Shop Concord Card”. Shop Concord Cards are Community eGift cards that are purchased on Yiftee and can be redeemed at any participating Concord business to keep dollars local and benefit the businesses and residents in our community.

There is no cost for you to participate in the program, and setup is easy--any business that accepts Mastercard can participate, with no changes to your POS and no special devices.

Creative Concord arts and culture programming was a success last year. Visit Concord, The Concord Chamber and The City of Concord all helped Local Edition Creative launch Creative Concord, a celebration of arts and culture. They received enormous positive feedback from business owners, City of Concord employees and the general public, as well as the sponsors and participants. Did you happen to watch their 2 minute recap video from last year's Creative Concord? Since it all went so wonderfully...they're bringing it back!

Last year's highlights and core focus was the nine professional murals they produced, but they had other important components that were also noteworthy. This year they are planning their core programming around temporary sculpture placements during the first week of October 2023. Once again They will use Todos Santos Park as their epicenter, and the sculptures will stay on display through early January 7th, 2024.

In addition to the temporary public art sculptures installations, they are looking into performing arts again, perhaps poetry and a mini symphony, as well as bringing back the Art Jam In The Park (this Art Jam was our community engagement with emerging artists). There's more they hope to bring, but additional programming is contingent on additional funding.

A friendly reminder to check off your energy actions from the 2023 Summer Energy Checklist, if you haven't already. You are eligible for the drawing for a $50 gift card just by completing at least 5 of the 20 energy efficiency actions from the link below by August 31st.  Be sure to check out the BayREN Resources at the bottom of each link (must be logged in to see) for rebates, vetted contractors and more.

The $50 GC winner will be announced the first week in September! 

Monument Impact, in partnership with the City of Concord, is excited to launch ELEVATE Concord, their family economic equity pilot this September. This is the first guaranteed income program in Concord and a major win for families. The program will provide 120 families with $500 a month of cash assistance for one year. The demand is high as families are still recovering from the pandemic and rising housing costs, and we need your help!

Donate TODAY to help families have financial stability and build a strong foundation for their children to thrive!

“You’re off to great to great places. Today is your first day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss

You are invited to Back to School Sunday! The Veranda is celebrating those electives this year...Fine Arts! Attendees with enjoy storytime with Barnes & Noble, a performance by Voena Children's Choir and fun crafts and back to school fun! Following the event, guests with an Event + Movie ticket can stay for a special screening of the new release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Veranda LUXE. Event festivities begin at 10am at the Fountain Pavilion Park and the movie begins promptly at 11:30am. Please bring a blanket for the family to gather on the park lawn. 

In honor of this event, and to support the community, we will be collecting Back-to-School supplies for Family Giving Tree. Please find a list of needed supplies here. 

Check in for this event will be at the entrance to the park lawn. The first 100 children to check in will receive a goody bag filled with themed giveaways and activities. 

Please join Monument Crisis Center to celebrate Monument Crisis Center's 20 years of service to the community at their anniversary party. Saturday August 12th from 4-6pm.