Client News
Gonzales Small Business Loans Boost Big Goals
Luz Garcia had a vision: a walk-up clinic in the small rural community of Gonzales. When her idea caught on with the local independent pharmacy, she opened inside the store and quickly attracted a regular flow of clients seeking locally available and affordable care.
Garcia soon determined that one of the hardships faced by her patients, many of whom were low income and lacked health insurance, was the difficulty of accessing and affording sonograms. The closest place with an ultrasound machine that offered low-cost fees was more than 50 miles away. If only she could get one, she thought. "I had the idea and the drive, but I didn't have the funding," Garcia says.
Enter the City of Gonzales, which has a long-term goal of expanding access to health care for its residents. It also runs a small business loan program. Garcia applied and received a loan at 3% interest to buy the $50,000 ultrasound device, which is now up and running and providing scans to patients for an affordable $200-$300 each, a fraction of the cost that a hospital might charge a walk-up patient.
"I am blessed to have been funded and I am sure the community is grateful as well," Garcia says.
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About City of Gonzales
The city of Gonzales, California is located in Monterey County. The quaint and culturally diverse community of approximately 9,000 people is in the heart of the Salinas Valley’s agricultural and wine region. Gonzales is an established regional leader in agricultural-technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainable practices. Gonzales is home to companies such as HealthySoil, which manufactures products to improve agricultural crop production; Converted Organics, a natural fertilizer company; Taylor Farms, a fresh vegetable production facility, Mann Packing/Del Monte Fresh, a leading supplier of fresh cut vegetables; Ramsay Highlander, an innovator, designer and manufacturer of technologically-advanced harvesting equipment; Papé Equipment Handling, Braga Fresh, Green Valley Farm Supply, Tessemae’s, American Bioscience, Caraccioli Cellars, and Constellation Brands, an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits.