Like many inventions, the idea for the Business Assistance Center (BAC) was born out of necessity. Because nearly 800 of the 1,400 businesses in Hancock County were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, Chamber Director Tish Williams was resolute in her determination to have a place where business owners could come for help. The losses were not only physical; they were emotional as well. To make matters worse, communication was practically non-existent. There was no Internet. Cell phone towers were down. Telephone lines were down. Even the U.S. Postal Service was severely disrupted.

Opening its doors just three weeks after the storm, the Business Assistance Center—located in the Coast Electric Power Association’s Conference Center—was a place where business owners could receive help filling out paperwork for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration. Computers with wireless Internet access were made available to everyone, as was a fax machine and copier. Current information regarding emergency operations was posted daily. Most importantly, the Business Assistance Center provided what was desperately needed: camaraderie and support.

Since then, the BAC has grown to include other support groups: the Small Business Development Center from University of Mississippi, the Arts—Hancock County, Citizens in Action, and the WIN Job Center. It continually hosts groups of volunteers who come to Mississippi to offer their help in our recovery. In essence, it encourages the social, civic, and economic well-being of Hancock County.