Some small Seattle businesses will receive $10,000 checks to help them through the coronavirus crisis. The Mayor’s Office announced the 250 recipients on Monday.

The money comes from the federal government, through a program designed to help very small businesses with modest incomes. But the City of Seattle chooses who gets the money.

Joe Do owns Chatime, a bubble tea shop in South Seattle that's on the list of awardees. He said he’s laid off all his employees, and is working without pay. This new money won’t change that.

“I’m grateful — don’t get me wrong — that we got the $10,000," Do said. "And it considerably helps us over the next couple months.”

But without a plan for recovery, Do said a check on its own isn't enough. He added that the state needs to proactively reach out to businesses, tell them when they can reopen, and ask them what they need to survive until then.

In the Chinatown International District, the International Examiner Newspaper has lost most of its income, which historically came from ads associated with events. When events ended, so did the money.