Black-Owned Medical Transportation Provider Receives Critical Funding From BBIF

BBIF Client Spotlight: Kindred Care EMS

Kindred Care is a premier Black-owned medical transportation provider in the metro Jacksonville, Fl area. Business owner Marshiray Griffen, a Jacksonville native, decided to open Kindred Care because she saw a need in her community. Her business primarily services the minority community of Northern Jacksonville, providing dependable and quality medical transportation for individuals unable to drive to doctor appointments. It is their priority to always be on time and help their customers feel as comfortable and cared for as possible during their service. At Kindred Care, their patients are at the heart of their company. 

Marshiray became familiar with BBIF after hearing a loan team member speak at a community meeting. This meeting alone made her begin brainstorming ways to ensure that her business was secure.  While speaking with this BBIF team member over the phone, she became aware of business needs that she did not consider, such as pursuing backup funds for her cash reserves. Having available dollars in cash reserves allows business owners to have funds set aside in the case of an emergency or to cover unexpected expenses. However, before she could acquire these funds, the coronavirus pandemic impacted the nation.

When the COVID-19 crisis began in early 2020, Marshiray felt as if she was in a whirlwind. Seemingly overnight, there was a surge in demand for her services that she could not support due to it requiring more staffing she could not afford. Initially, insurance providers did not consider COVID-19 a “medical emergency” and were not including COVID transfers, making it extremely difficult to acquire the funds to meet her needs. To make matters worse, Kindred Care was forced to transfer billing companies due to their previous provider going out of business, proving to be a very costly and unexpected expense.

Being that Marshiray developed a relationship with BBIF before the pandemic, she felt comfortable applying for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan with our organization. Throughout their entire PPP application process, the BBIF team ensured that Marshiray understood each step. She appreciated the time and dedication that the BBIF team showed, helping her to navigate the application process. After successfully receiving the PPP funding in the summer of 2020, Kindred Care was able to meet payroll needs and continue servicing their patients. In addition to the PPP loan, BBIF also provided  Kindred Care with critical grant dollars to aid in the billing company transition. With these funds, Marshiray was able to purchase important supplies, such as personal protection equipment.