Impact Update for Thursday, March 3
Each week, we will distribute our Impact Update newsletter on Thursdays. We encourage you to share this information with friends, families, and business owners who may be able to take advantage of the resources, programming options, local highlights and industry news below.

Jason Siegel
President & CEO
Greater Orlando Sports Commission
Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears.

- Arnold Palmer
Local Resources.

  • Visit these pages for the most critical local health and government updates:
  • City of Orlando: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
  • Orange County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
  • Osceola County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
  • Seminole County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
  • Lake County: Homepage
  • City of Orlando:
  • The Downtown Development Board (DDB) and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) created a webpage to assist with identifying grants and incentives that may be available to downtown businesses.
  • Orlando's City Council approved the Safety Awareness for Everyone (S.A.F.E) Program, creating an incentive for businesses and properties to purchase and install security measures that are intended to help deter crime and provide a safer environment for business owners, employees, and visitors. Entertainment businesses including, but not limited to, bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues located within the City of Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) footprint shall be eligible for funding to purchase and install security measures which include identification scanners, security cameras, and metal detection systems. Other properties located within the CRA shall be eligible for funding to purchase and install security cameras only. Applicants are eligible to receive up to $10,000 or 50% of the total cost of eligible products, whichever is less. Click here for more info and to apply now.
  • Orange County:
  • The #IGotMyShot mobile vaccination trailer continues to visit neighborhoods and businesses throughout Orange County. For next week’s schedule, or for more information about the #IGotMyShot campaign, visit ocfl.net/IGotMyShot.
  • Orange County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program remains open for individuals who are behind on rent or at risk of being evicted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, more than $15.3 million have been approved to keep 2,635 families in their homes. Recently, the City of Orlando announced it has depleted its current federal funds dedicated to its Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Orange County is stepping in to bridge the gap and will temporarily offer assistance to Orlando residents, effective now until further notice. Eligible residents include those living in unincorporated Orange County, Apopka, Bay Lake, Belle Isle, Eatonville, Edgewood, Lake Buena Vista, Maitland, Oakland, Ocoee, Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden and Winter Park. Residents can visit ocfl.net/RentalAssistance to review program details and to check if their address is eligible.
  • CareerSource Central Florida is helping career seekers and displaced workers apply for the Reemployment Assistance program through the Department of Economic Opportunity.
  • The Orange County Library System offers Right Service at the Right Time, a free online tool and public resource that is particularly useful to those who have had their income affected by COVID-19. The service provides a platform to easily find information on government-assistance and community-support programs. 
  • Osceola County:
  • Osceola County is currently accepting applications for emergency utility assistance for households impacted by COVID19. Funding is available for electric, gas, and water utilities only. If you reside in Osceola County and your household is impacted, please click here to complete the application.
  • Lake County:
  • For Lake County residents, United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties is able to assist with CARES/ERA/SHIP Federal funds for rent and utilities. For more information on eligibility and documents needed, or to make an appointment, please visit their Family Stability Services page.
  • Seminole County:
  • If you have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and live in Seminole County, The Sharing Center is currently accepting applications for rent/mortgage and utilities assistance. Click here for program criteria and to learn how to apply.
  • Additional Resources:
  • The US Small Business Association has compiled a database of private funding options to help small businesses. Browse the options available nationally, or input a zip code to explore location-specific funding.


Stay Engaged.




“It’s always good to be back at Bay Hill. We all know what Arnold Palmer means to the PGA Tour and to the game of golf in general. So it’s always nice to be here, pay our respects and remember his legacy and remember what he meant to everyone.”

-Rory McIlroy, PGA TOUR Golfer

Speaking about playing in this weekend's Arnold Palmer Invitational. See story below...

Around The Horn.


In The News.

  • The City of Orlando launched a temporary “parklet” program in the Downtown CRA in September 2020 to help business owners transform on-street parking spaces into pop-up outdoor dining in light of indoor seating restrictions. The city is now seeking input from residents on the overall success of the program and you can participate in the survey here.
  • Amazon has just struck a partnership with more than 140 colleges and universities that will provide fully-funded college tuition for its 750,000 hourly employees. Florida employees will soon have access to free tuition to pursue a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, Florida International University, University of Central Florida, Miami Dade College, Hillsborough Community College, Polk State College, Valencia College, and Florida State College, as well as online educational platforms from Southern New Hampshire University, Colorado State University, and National University.
  • The James Beard Foundation, a New York-based non-profit that works to celebrate and support America’s food culture and local restaurant operators across the country, has just announced its semifinalists for its 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards with a list that includes a slew of local names.
  • The 10th annual Lake Nona Impact Forum gathered the nation’s top CEOs, health care innovators, and thought leaders in Lake Nona for a series of in-depth, collaborative discussions about health innovation in the new reality. The Forum explored a variety of pertinent topics such as health equity, mental health, aging, digital innovation, the global supply chain, and analyzing the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • One of Orlando’s oldest downtown neighborhoods, Parramore, has just been granted an official Main Street program of its own.
  • dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider, is establishing its new U.S. headquarters in Orlando’s Lake Nona.
  • Three historic restoration projects in the Parramore Neighborhood scored big this week from the Florida African American Cultural and Historical Grants.



Fun & Games.