LAPLACE — Small business owners in St. John the Baptist Parish who were impacted by Hurricane Isaac in 2012 may be missing out on available federal funds, officials say.

“We have money left over in the form of small business loans and grants,” said grants administrator Myra Alexis-Valentine.

“We want to make sure we’ve reached as many people as possible.”

To help with that effort, the St. John the Baptist Parish grants office will hold a pair of workshops next week for those who were impacted by the storm.

The East Bank workshop will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the St. John Community Center, 2900 U.S. 51 in LaPlace.

The West Bank workshop will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Council on Aging Senior Center, 155 East 3rd St. in Edgard.

The workshops will explain the qualifications and requirements needed to apply for small business loans and federal grants that are available for up to $100,000.

Only business owners who were impacted by the storm are eligible to apply.

Loan applications will be accepted from March 6-31.

Hurricane Isaac struck the area in 2012, damaging more than 70 percent of the parish’s businesses.

Alexis-Valentine said only 15 businesses have applied for the funds.

“Before we move the funds to other accounts, we want to make sure everyone had a chance to apply,” she said.