6th District Success Stories

Small Business Success

Paycheck Protection Program

"First Folio Theatre, like almost every arts organization, found itself struggling through the immediate effects of the pandemic shut down, which has resulted in our having to cancel at least four productions to date. The assistance that Congressman Casten and his office gave me in maneuvering the complexities of the PPP and SBA EID Loan applications was invaluable. Congressman Casten understands the value of small business to our economy and also the importance of the arts to our society."

 —David Rice, Executive Artistic Director, First Folio Theatre

“Quest Food Management Services is so incredibly grateful for Rep. Casten’s support in ensuring PPP funds were available for organizations like ours.  As a family-owned company that primarily serves schools, our team members were devastated by the COVID-related school shutdowns.  The PPP funds allowed us to support all 1,320 of our employees – over 800 of whom would have been without any pay whatsoever – with their full wages, benefits and paid leave during the pandemic.  We spent all of our PPP funds on payroll – every single penny of it.  We thank Rep. Casten for his leadership in supporting our team members during a time when they needed it most.”

– President Nick Saccaro, Quest Food Management Services 

"As an essential mental health provider we had to quickly shift to working in a new way to support the health and safety of both the staff and the people that we serve.  This resulted in extra costs and significant decrease in revenue. Without the Paycheck Protection Program and Congressman Casten’s support, we would not have been able to maintain all 60 of our staff along with continuing to support 5 interns as they finished their Master’s degrees.  This team of professionals served 2,329 individuals this past year with 1,743 being under the age of 18." – Bernadette May, Executive Director Family Service Association of Greater Elgin

"360 Youth Services provides 24/7 essential programs for at-risk and homeless youth ages 13 to 24 years old in our community.  With the Governor’s stay-at-home order, our spring fundraising events were canceled.  This meant lost unrestricted dollars that would typically pay for salary and rent not covered by government contracts. The PPP program filled a critical gap by supporting an essential organization so we in turn could support our young people as they navigate this trauma. We're grateful for Rep. Casten’s support of this vital program."

- Judie Caribeaux, CEO 360 Youth Services

“Greater Elgin Family Care Center applied for the Paycheck Protection Program the first day it was available.  Our loan was approved within that week. The resources we received have allowed us to stay open – we’ve been able to continue to provide primary health care services to residents of the District, uninterrupted, and safely and affordably. With us doing COVID-19 testing each weekday, in addition to our typical 175,000 appointments annually, it’s clear that the PPP has produced real value for the community. Congressman Casten’s support of the Program was smart, as it has offered real, significant impact.”

–Robert M. Tanner President/Chief Executive Officer Greater Elgin Family Care Center

"Ray Graham Association provides essential supports and services to more than 2,000 children and adults with intellectual and other types of developmental disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome.  The population we serve tends to be at higher risk for underlying health conditions.  In order to keep the people we serve and our staff safe and healthy we needed to purchase PPE in mass and adjust our staffing pattern, resulting in paying an unprecedented amount of overtime all while revenue decreased.  The Payroll Protection Program gave us the ability to maintain our staff so that we could continue to provide remote services to many people living at home with their families, pay the overtime needed to keep people in our residential programs safe, and plan to resume services when it is safe to do so." 

– Kim Zoeller, President and CEO Ray Graham Association