Business forced to lay off workers, frustrated no PPP money coming in

CHARLOTTE — Many business owners have been denied or are still waiting for federal relief during the pandemic, while some have been forced to downsize or close all together.

Douglas Alvarenga, who is with Rely Workforce Group, has been running his successful multimillion-dollar company for three years.

Chairs now empty that were once occupied by employees filling open positions in construction, warehouse and manufacturing companies.

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“We immediately downsized to 47 then 32,” Alvarenga said. “Right now, based on last year’s numbers, we would be right around 120 people.”

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Schylar Brooks is one of 30 million Americans out of work. He got laid off last month.

"I never really thought I'd be a statistic, but here I am,” Brooks said. “I worked for one of the hotels in uptown and of the roughly 500 employees that we have, all of them have been furloughed."

Brooks and Alvarenga are different sides of the same coin. What frustrates Alvarenga is that if he had gotten his Paid Protection Program money he wouldn't have had to lay off anyone.

“Out of 60-plus applications that we put in through Fin Tech Group, through BofA, through Chase, through several other big banks -- we have heard nothing.”

Alvarenga got $10,000 from local help, but his expenses run about $10,000, which is far less than $500,000 the government said he is qualified for but has not received.

Some small businesses struggling to get help from Paycheck Protection Program Some small businesses struggling to get help from Paycheck Protection Program

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