MetroAction was recently awarded a $100,000 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund grant through the United States Department of the Treasury to increase small business training opportunities and improve access to small business financing.

Small businesses play a critical role in northeastern Pennsylvania's economy and are vital to growth and job creation. Many small businesses faced financial challenges as a result of the recession, including accessing capital. MetroAction helps to accommodate small businesses by providing loans and training programs to entrepreneurs that do not qualify for bank loans."This grant provides a unique opportunity for small business in our region to have greater access to the services and training that MetroAction provides. We will be able to better assist our small businesses," said Natalie O'Hara, president of MetroAction.The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund is under the United States Department of Treasury. The CDFI Fund's mission is to expand the capacity of financial institutions to provide credit, capital, and financial services to underserved populations and communities in the United States.To learn more about MetroAction's training and lending programs, contact MetroAction at (570) 341-0270 or visit

www.MetroAction.org.MetroAction provides loans to small business in northeastern Pennsylvania that do not have access to traditional sources of credit. Covering Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, MetroAction, a nonprofit Small Business Administration (SBA) lender, is northeastern Pennsylvania's leading provider of small business loans and comprehensive business training. For more information, visit

www.MetroAction.org.