He first came to Saipan a few years ago for a short rest and recreation. This time, he is back but with work in mind.<\/p>\n
California-based Carl N. Gaspari, who is the U.S. Small Business Administration officer-in-charge in the CNMI, arrived on Saipan on Aug. 30, shortly after President Bush declared the CNMI a major disaster area.<\/p>\n
He and his team of 17 people are expected to stay in the Commonwealth for 60 days so that affected residents can apply for federal disaster assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis place is beautiful. I was here for a short visit but this time we\u2019re down to work. And this is an opportunity that I\u2019m grateful to be part of\u2014extending help to people at a most difficult time,\u201d said Gaspari in an interview yesterday at the SBA Center at the Multi-Purpose Hall in Susupe. <\/p>\n
Gaspari and his team, composed of representatives from SBA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local staff, work on weekends to accommodate more people into the program. <\/p>\n
Gaspari\u2019s job deals with accepting and processing loans to help disaster victims recover.<\/p>\n
So far, he said, SBA-CNMI has issued 800 applications to small business owners. About 150 of them have been completed and submitted by applicants.<\/p>\n
Gaspari said he is pretty much used to his disaster work assignments, having been connected with SBA for a decade now.<\/p>\n
He said that, while he goes to a place during tough times, he enjoys the experience of meeting new people and learning about new places. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an interesting opportunity and you get to go places where you may not have the opportunity to visit. The downside to that is you\u2019re visiting these places sometimes under very difficult conditions. And our staff are accustomed to that. It\u2019s the nature of our work. We come here when difficulty strikes so we don\u2019t come necessarily in happy times but by the time we leave, we leave it a stronger and better place because of the people we\u2019ve been able to help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gaspari, a husband and father of four grownup children, said it is the families back home who may have to face a harder time due to their long overseas assignment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult for families. However, my family fully understands my job and why I should be away that long,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gaspari said his wife, Deborah, is actually familiar with Saipan because she is from Guam. Deborah\u2019s family originally hails from Pampanga in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe met during one of my work trips to Guam,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gaspari, who is of Italian descent, was born in Massachusetts and raised in California. He took up political science as his major in college.<\/p>\n
While he is aware that his SBA work involves touching people\u2019s lives during disasters, he said that his own life is actually \u201ctouched\u201d when he meets the affected people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just fabulous when you see people smiling, pulling themselves together, and staying strong in the midst of trauma. I\u2019m touched when I see them doing their best to help themselves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said he has had the chance to see the damage during an inspection of the island upon his arrival.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a lot of damage. And the damage is really bad if it\u2019s your home. You can\u2019t minimize that. To a family that lost a house or property, it\u2019s the worst disaster,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This is the reason, he said, why SBA and FEMA exist: to help the affected families get back to normal living condition, as soon as possible. <\/p>\n
SBA grants home disaster loans, business disaster loans, and economic injury disaster loans. Homeowners can avail themselves of up to $200,000 loan for home repair or replacement, and $40,000 for personal properties. Businesses can get up to $1.5 million loan.<\/p>\n
Loans are payable up to a maximum of 30 years with low interest rates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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