Gateway Reporter

Celebrating Our Recent SEED Grant Recipients

We are proud to congratulate the 2022 small businesses who received one of our Supporting East End Entrepreneurship Development (SEED) grant awards during the annual ceremony held earlier this month!

A total of $129,000 was awarded to six East End businesses in 2022. Grant award recipients from 2021 were also celebrated during this year’s ceremony because of last year’s postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s recipients received a total of $141,000, and their businesses represent both the East End and Manchester communities.

2021 Award Recipients

• LaFox Hair Design
• Manchester Groom Saloon
• Bare Soul Yoga
• Alexander’s Cleaners
• Inner City Blues
• Glean
• Jade Salon

2022 Award Recipients

• Second Bottle Wine and Snack Shop
• Wheel Simple Bicycle Repair
• 8 ½ Church Hill
• Spotty Dog
• Glean
• Urban Set Bride

The SEED program provides new or existing small businesses with grants of up to $25,000, which include business coaching services on financing, marketing and other business needs. Together, the grant funding and coaching help businesses expand and become more resilient, bringing greater commercial activity and job opportunities to the community.

Our ministry is proud to be one of the creators of the SEED program along with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Virginia. The program was created in 2011 as an economic development and job creation initiative for Richmond’s East End neighborhood. Capital One and InUnison (formally RMA) both joined as partners throughout the last several years serving in a variety of functions.

In 2021, the program expanded to reach businesses in the Manchester community as well. Since its start, the SEED program has distributed more than $903,000 in SEED grants.

“SEED has been a catalyst for vibrancy in this community, drawing people from across the region to this historic district,” Mike Lutes, president of our Richmond market, shares. “We’ve been thrilled to see the progress and revitalization that has happened and are proud to have supported these businesses in a small way.”

As a faith-based, mission-driven health care ministry, we seek to improve the overall health of our communities by addressing the social determinants of health, which include health promotion, job creation, food access, education and affordable housing. SEED is an important community initiative for us that helps address some of these social determinants.

Learn more about our community commitment at Bon Secours.

Original source can be found here