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Owners of businesses damaged by last month’s flooding have until Nov. 2 to apply for grants to help with recovery. Up to $120,000 could be available from a fund administered by chambers of commerce in Wilkes-Barre, Pittston and Hazleton.

A first round of applications closed Wednesday.

“We’ve gotten a bunch of applications,” said Donna Sedor, executive vice president of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber. “They’re from all over, Plains to Shickshinny.”

The grants are available to any affected Luzerne County business and are not limited to chamber members.

“We’re basically trying to help as many businesses as possible,” Sedor said.

The average grant is $2,500. “We’re trying to get (applicants) to identify one or two things we can help with,” she said.

The Luzerne County Flood Recovery Fund For Business was created with a $20,000 grant from The Luzerne Foundation. The foundation also offered up to $50,000 as a challenge grant to be matched by donations garnered by the chambers. If that goal is reached, a total of $120,000 will be available.

Sedor said fundraising could continue and make the fund even larger.

Beyond the grants, she said chamber officials have been matching up businesses offering help with those in need of it.

The grant application can be found at http://gwbrecovery.org/app. More information is available by calling 570-266-7626 or by contacting a participating chamber of commerce.

Applicants must have registered in the “Get Help” section of the GWBRecovery.org website, plan to reopen in Luzerne County and anticipate operating at 75 percent of previous levels within 12 months.

The Flood Recovery Fund is composed of representatives from the three chambers, government representatives, nonprofits, business service organizations and business and community leaders.

HOW TO APPLY, GIVE

Applications for flood recovery grants are available at http://gwbrecovery.org/app or by calling 570-266-7626.

Information about donating can be found at www.gwbrecovery.org