Ahead of the region, donations to the Small Business Flood Recovery Fund reach $500,000
Published on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 9:06 AM
Just 17 days after Region AHEAD reorganized to help small businesses affected by the floods recover, donations from individual and corporate donors have reached $500,000. Meanwhile, applications for flood recovery grants by small business owners continue to increase.
“We are extremely grateful to those who recognized the need to help small businesses in our region begin their recovery and acted quickly,” said Region AHEAD President Andy Dietrich. I am. “The $500,000 amount will almost double the number of small businesses we can support compared to the $253,000 we raised during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to reach $1 million in donations to truly meet the need.”
Beth Reinhart, president and CEO of the Bristol Tennessee-Virginia Chamber of Commerce, said, “To help us reach our $500,000 goal, we are accepting donations of any amount from $20 or less to $150,000. I am grateful.” “All of our donors recognize the need to get funding to small businesses as quickly as possible, and we will continue to work towards reaching our $1 million goal.”
Organizations that have donated between $10,000 and $150,000 to the fund include Ballad Health, Bank of Tennessee, BlueCross Blue Shield of TN Foundation, BrightRidge and Champion Chevrolet. Cline Holder Crown Laboratories, Domtar, Eastman Credit Union, ETSU, Regions Bank Foundation.
“Grant applicants have heartbreaking stories about how their businesses have been severely impacted by flooding,” said Tennessee First Development District (FTDD) Workforce and Literacy Lottie Lyons, Director of Improvement Initiatives, said: “So far, we have received applications from counties in southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee. We have a number of businesses in the tourism industry, but we have also received applications from retail and construction companies. 10 We plan to begin funding successful applicants by the end of the month.”
Counties that can support small businesses with donations include Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. In southwestern Virginia, these counties include Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smith, Tazewell, and Washington and Wise counties.
Small business owners who would like to apply for a Regional AHEAD grant simply visit RegionAhead.com and submit a grant application. Similarly, donors can choose which counties they want to support with their donations or choose to contribute to a general fund that benefits all counties based on need.
Original members of Region AHEAD include the Bristol Tennessee/Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce, First Tennessee Development District, Greene County Partnership, Johnson City, Jonesborough Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and new flood recovery Some of the activities are included. , Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce, ARO Inc., Ballad Health and Creative Energy.
To make a corporate or individual donation, visit RegionAhead.com. Grant applications are now available on the same site, RegionAhead.com.
