Your Monthly Update
from the Community Development Partnership
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A Word from Jay...
For those of us who work at the at the CDP, one of the sure signs that the busy summer season is here is the Route 6 traffic backed up in front of our office from the light in North Eastham. Typically, beginning in late June, a line of cars forms each morning that blocks the exit from our office complex. That line of cars has yet to happen – yet one more sign that this summer on the Lower and Outer Cape is going to be different.
Clearly there are more people here as part-time residents settle in for the summer, lodging establishment begin to open up to visitors and restaurants start to offer seating both outside and inside.
While there are many unknowns about what the future holds for our seasonal hospitality related businesses, one things is for sure: most small businesses have had to develop and implement extraordinary changes to the way they do business. And they have done so in a matter of weeks and with great creativity.
In this issue of our E-news, we tell the stories of two such businesses, Holbrook Oyster and Cosmos Catering. I hope that the way in which they have met the challenges of the past several months will inspire you to be intentional about your spending and that you will support local businesses.
You will also read about our new Board President, Matt Cole, President & CEO of Cape Associates. Matt stepped into this important leadership role in April and I am excited to be working with him as we address the challenges ahead. For the past three years, I’ve had the great pleasure to work with Ben deRuyter as our Board President. Ben’s energy and enthusiasm have been a key part of our ability to build a strong foundation for the CDP – a foundation that will help us emerge from this economic crisis stronger and able to serve our community.
Both Ben and Matt are deeply committed to our mission to lead the Lower Cape in building a diverse year-round community of people who can afford to live, work and thrive here. Ben and Matt were both born and raised on the Lower Cape, run important small businesses and are committed to ensuring that their children have the same opportunity to make a life here on the Lower Cape as they have. I am deeply grateful for their leadership and the contributions of so many who make our work possible.
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Jay Coburn
Chief Executive Officer
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Life lessons from past mistakes lead to sobriety at Canal House
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“If I didn’t have my sobriety, I would have nothing”
Ryan Karber
Canal House Resident
Brewster native Ryan Karber loves his job. At 38 years old he has been working as a carpenter for the past 25 years alongside his father who owns a construction business. But six years ago, he almost lost everything.
“I am a local boy and alcohol was a big part of growing up,” says Ryan. “I fell in love with it at an early age and eventually started doing drugs as well.” One afternoon after Ryan had been drinking he went out on his dirt bike. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and when he crashed it left him unconscious with multiple injuries. He was med flighted to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where he lay in a coma for 6 weeks. When he emerged from the coma he was sent to Spaulding Rehabilitation Center where he spent months learning to walk and talk again. As he slowly regained both his physical and cognitive abilities he was uncertain of his future.
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Supporting Local Business
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Pivoting your business: Tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit
to overcome the coronavirus
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“
We are trying to be enterprising, and the whole thing has opened up my eyes to what can be done.
”
Zack Dixon
Co-Owner and General Manager, Holbrook Oysters
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As the Lower and Outer Cape heads into summer, typically the busiest time of year, businesses are far from going back to the way they were. Health and safety regulations, implemented to protect the public from the coronavirus, have fundamentally changed the way Cape businesses operate. Over the past couple of months, we have seen not only the resilience, but the creativity of our small business community.
Business we have spoken with have responded in varying ways – for all it has meant a dramatic shift in their business model. Major changes in business strategy that usually take a year or two to plan, have occurred within weeks. We recently spoke with two local entrepreneurs who have significantly shifted their business models.
*Photo: Zack (left) and team members Jacob and Justin out on the farm.
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Supporter Spotlight: Matt Cole on becoming the board president and navigating a pandemic
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"Many of the businesses out here have the CDP woven into their story"
Matt Cole
President and CEO of Cape Associates
President, CDP Board of Directors
“The economic vitality of this region would be much different without the CDP,” says Matt Cole, President and CEO of Cape Associates and the CDP’s newly elected President of the Board of Directors. Matt first became aware of the CDP about seven years ago when Cape Associates was hired to do an addition on the home of Jay Coburn, the CDP’s newly hired CEO. “I met Jay and his husband John, and in the process learned a lot about the work of the CDP,” says Matt, “although it took me years to learn all that the CDP does.” Not much time passed before Matt was asked to serve on the CDP’s Advisory Council and later the Board of Directors. Now stepping into the position previously held by Ben de Ruyter, Matt is focused on ensuring the CDP continues to carry out its mission while at the same time looking for opportunities as well as unmet needs on the Lower and Outer Cape.
A native of Eastham, Matt is the grandson of Lester Langhans, Jr, who founded Cape Associates in 1971. After completing an engineering degree from Bucknell University, Matt moved to New York City where he worked in commercial construction for seven years. He returned to the Cape in 2008 to re-join the family business and start his own family. He and his wife Katie settled in Orleans and they now have four sons, Hudson, Tucker-Michael, Brooks and Finley who was born last year.
*Photo: Matt, his wife Katie and their children
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In late spring 19 non-profits located in or serving Provincetown joined together to address the effects of corona virus in the community and created the
One Provincetown, One Fund. The group decided to host a collaborative virtual telethon showcasing local artists, musicians and the participating organizations.
The live show took place last week, and a total of $42,840 was raised. This amount will be split between all 19 beneficiaries. There is still time to support the One Fund at
oneprovincetown.org and you can watch a rerun of the live show
here!
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For the third year in a row the CDP has been chosen as a beneficiary for The Gasp charitable bike ride!
Due to the health concerns of the coronavirus , this year's ride is entirely virtual. Participants will have the week of September 13th to ride a total of 62 miles on their own time, at their own pace, through their own neighborhood.
If you've never ridden with us before this is the perfect opportunity to get involved, and it is a great activity for families! There is a $25 entry fee and a $250 fundraising minimum.
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Funds are still available for the CDP's Housing Rehab program
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Provincetown, Truro, Eastham and Harwich residents: Is your home in need of critical repairs?
Our Housing Rehabilitation Program still has funds available for qualified residents. You can receive a forgivable loan of up to $40,000 to pay for home repairs (like roofing and siding, electrical, heating and plumbing work), lead paint abatement, and energy efficiency upgrades to keep their properties in good condition for the long term. And with local contractors doing the work, this means money flowing back into our economy.
The program is designed to preserve existing homes for year-round residents at or below 80% of the median area income. Owner-occupied landlord and investor-owned properties with income-qualified renters are eligible too.
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Business & Credit Workshops
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GROW program info sessions
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WE CAN’s GROW (Get Results with Others’ Wisdom) program will be offered again this fall! The CDP is collaborating with WE CAN to bring the program to the Outer Cape. Designed for women business owners, it offers facilitated peer mentoring, accountability and a safe and confidential setting to work on adapting, stabilizing and/or growing your business in this new economy. The GROW program is facilitated by experienced business owners.
The next scheduled info session is:
To register contact Marina at WE CAN, 508-430-8111 or marina@wecancenter.org
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Update on Business & Credit Workshops
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I
n response to the evolving impacts of the Coronavirus, the CDP has shifted all trainings, workshops, technical assistance sessions, and appointments to a virtual platform until
further notice
. The status of in-person events may be changed in accordance with guidance from state and local officials.
We remain committed to serving our business clients
and our community. Staff is now working remotely and will continue our existing programs and services while also responding to the evolving challenges that this pandemic presents.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, please reach out to Pam Andersen at pam@capecdp.org or 508-240-7873 x18.
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Additional COVID19 Resources for Businesses
We have created a separate page on our website that is a compilation of resources for local businesses, including various SBA, unemployment and other federal programs.
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If you or someone you know is interested in receiving weekly updates from our Business and Credit Program that are targeted to small businesses, please sign up for our
Inside Scoop
.
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Thank you
for supporting our efforts to support the Lower Cape community during this crisis.
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