ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will update the hours of operation for the Business Recovery Center (BRC) at the Crossroads Institute, stating today. The BRC will now open, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the schedule change, the BRC will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 24, Wednesday Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, in observance of the Federal holidays.
“SBA’s Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) 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 SBA. “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 at the BRC will assist business owners complete their disaster loan application, accept documents for existing applications, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Disaster Recovery Center at appointment.sba.gov. The BRC new hours of operation are indicated below.
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Independent City of Galax County
Crossroads Institute
1117 E Stuart Drive
Galax, VA 24333
New Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Saturday and Sunday
Holiday Closure: Tuesday - Wednesday Dec. 24 – Dec 25 and Wednesday, Jan. 1
SBA’s disaster loan program has been replenished through the American Relief Act of 2025, signed into law by President Biden on December 21, 2024.
The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.
With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.
Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Dec. 2, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 1, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.