Diverse Erie awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to 25 Erie-area small businesses on Friday.
The grants, which ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 and totaled $291,500, were part of Diverse Erie Small Business Mini-Grant Program.
The program is funded by Erie County’s share of American Rescue Plan funds and is targeted at businesses owned and serving members of Erie County’s Black, Indigenous and people of color community.
“Small businesses are the backbone of a community: they create jobs, drive economic and community development, and attract and retain residents,” said Diverse Erie Chief Administrative Officer Gary Lee, who led a grant ceremony on Friday at the Erie Arts and Technology Center. 650 East Avenue.
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“This diverse set of small businesses will work to promote our county and support future generations. “Continued investments, specifically in BIPOC communities, help build Erie County’s economic growth.”
The funds are a “great help” for the beneficiaries
Grant recipients included Steven Spearman, owner of Personal Results Fitness, located at 524 W 17th St., in the Little Italy neighborhood.
“We deal with over 100 at-risk youth,” Spearman told the Erie Times-News. “We’ve been a quiet organization for years, but it’s time we start getting some exposure to make sure these kids have what they need.”
Spearman said he was excited to receive a $15,000 grant.
“This is a big help,” he said. “This will be part of the money going towards our extensions to the back of our gym. “I am very grateful that this board has agreed to take over my facility in Little Italy, where there are many at-risk and poor youth.”
Denise and Rashad Alise Grady, mother and daughter co-owners of Heavenly Hands Early Learning Child Care Academy, located at 1001 W. 21st St., also expressed excitement about a $15,000 grant.
“This will be a big help,” Rashad Alise Grady said. “More toys for the kids, for educational purposes and field trips, just things to make the nursery a lot better. “We are lucky to have this opportunity.”
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Grant recipients are businesses located in qualified Housing and Urban Development census tracts that primarily serve recipients earning less than 60% of the median income in Erie County, according to Diverse Erie.
Lee told the Times-News that 25 awardees were selected from 75 applicants. Grant amounts were determined by several factors, including personal and business taxes, number of employees, level of sales, and areas of concentration.
Diverse Erie previously awarded more than $300,000 in grants to 29 more small businesses in July 2023.
Grant Recipients
- 1 of 1 Services, LLC: $5,000
- 2 Hermanos Car Service: $15,000
- AB Superior Car Service: $7,500
- Almadina Supermarket: $20,000
- Camaraderie BBQ Inc.: $15,000
- CookMediaLLC: $5,000
- Easter group day care: $15,000
- Erie Auto Service: $7,500
- Galloway LLC Management Group: $10,000
- Heavenly Hands Early Learning Child Care Academy: $15,000
- I&M convenience store: $10,000
- Joe Rentals: $5,000
- Johnson Real Estate Properties LLC: $20,000
- LashedByTay BeautyCo: $15,000
- Nature Beauty Salon: $20,000
- Pacleys Moving and Labor Services LLC: $7,500
- Personal Fitness Results: $15,000
- Real Estate Solutions-360 LLC: $15,000
- Sacred Divine Femininity LLC: $6,500
- Sew embroidery and custom designs royalty: $7,500
- State Auto Service: $7,500
- Supremacy Build: $7,500
- The Learning Ladder Early Child Care Center LLC: $15,000
- Wayne Rentals LLC: $10,000
- World of Care Inc.: $15,000
You can contact AJ Rao at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao.