Twenty businesses have received $3,000 trants through Wilmington Downtown Inc.'s Re-3 grant program, according to a news release.
The program, which was developed and launched in partnership with the Longleaf Foundation in response to the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on local business, received 148 applications before the deadline April 17, officials said.
The program was announced April 6 and is aimed to help local businesses re-stock, reopen, and re-cover, WDI officials said in the release.
A total of $60,000 through the grant program was divided among 20 businesses, each receiving $3,000, in the first wave of awards.
"While the group selected the first round of recipients for the $3,000 grants, organizers intend to announce more awards in the coming days as pledges are received or additional money is donated," stated the release.
The businesses that received the first wave of awards are: The Basics, Just Cut It Barbershop, Black Sea Grill, Love, Lydia Bakery, Cousins Italian Deli, manna, Decades of Décor, Murphy’s Barber Shop, Flytrap Brewing, New Anthem Beer Project, The Foxes Boxes, Old Books on Front St., Front and Dock (Husk/YoSake/Dram + Morsel), The Second Glass, Gravity Records, Second Skin Vintage, Hell’s Kitchen, Stemmerman’s Inn, Jester’s Café and Swahili Coast.
"My shop serves as both a neighborhood gathering spot and a business,” said Cedron Emerson of Just Cut It Barber Shop on Castle Street, in the release. “This grant will keep us going and help us maintain social connections that are so important to our community,”
Donations and pledges were made by a range of businesses and individuals, including nCino, Monteith Construction, Bill and Debbie Rudisill, Griffin Estep Benefit Group, Jennifer Ford, Clark Hipp, Beth Rutledge & Tim Morgan, Balding Brothers and The O’Grady-Guida Charitable Gift Fund.
More grants will be made as additional funds are received and raised.
WDI has just over $20,000 in pledges that have not yet come in, said Ed Wolverton, president and CEO of WDI. WDI set out to raise as much as possible to support the local business community and did not set a formal amount as a fundraising goal, he said.
"As funds arrive, the review team will make more awards," Wolverton said. "We want to help as many businesses as possible. With today’s announcement, we’ve made a great start with 20 out of 148 applications. More will follow."
The interest led to many difficult choices for the review committee, officials said in the release.
“I am incredibly moved by the way our community has rallied to help our local small businesses,” said WDI Chair Dane Scalise, in the release. “These award recipients, like many others, are in a tough spot. But we hope that these funds will help and that we can keep this grant program going by receiving additional donations from the community."
