The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the opening of a Portable Loan Outreach Center (PLOC) in Beaufort County located at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (map), on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 9 a.m. to meet disaster survivors where they are. The PLOC will be closed on Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day, and will close permanently on Nov. 14, at 6 p.m.

The SBA has adjusted the incident period for the Hurricane Helene disaster. It is accepting disaster loan applications for damages that occurred from Sept. 25 through Oct. 7, 2024.

“SBA’s Business Recovery Centers are a cornerstone of our support for business owners,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “At these centers, business owners can meet face-to-face with specialists to apply for disaster loans and access a wide range of resources to guide them through their recovery.”

Customer Service Representatives from the SBA are at all recovery centers in South Carolina where survivors can get help with their SBA disaster loan application. SBA’s Customer Service Representatives can answer questions, help survivors complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can also schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Business Recovery Center in advance. The hours of operation for the SBA Center is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Saturday and Sunday, closed Veterans Day).