Twenty-three Grand Traverse County businesses with nine or fewer employees have been awarded Regional Resiliency Program (RRP) grants to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A grand total of $83,000 was awarded, funded by $60,000 from Venture North Funding and Development, $20,000 from Cherryland Electric Cooperative, and $3,000 from the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. Businesses receiving grants were from Fife Lake, Kingsley, Traverse City, and Williamsburg. A local volunteer team reviewed the 37 applications submitted by Grand Traverse County businesses and provided grant funding recommendations to Venture North.

Grand Traverse County RRP Grant Recipients included:
 
Building Blocks Preschool, Traverse City
Cherry Hill Boutique, Traverse City
Forest area Early Leaning Center, Fife Lake
Forrest, A Food Studio & Private Chef, Traverse City
Handz On Art, Traverse City
Higher Art Gallery, Traverse City
Hodges Fastener Corporation, Traverse City
Idea Stream, Traverse City
Influence Design Forum, Traverse City
Kingsley Dance Company, Kingsley
Lillies of the Alley, Traverse City
Little Shop of Tresses, Fife Lake
Milk and Mud, Fife Lake
Old Mission Multi-Grain LLC, Traverse City
Pam Mervau Daycare, Williamsburg
Peace Love & Little Donuts, Traverse City
Pitter Patter Preschool & Childcare, Kingsley
Redefined!, Kingsley
TC Mexican, Traverse City
Team Jo Services LLC, Kingsley
The Dish Café, Traverse City
Votruba Leather Goods Co, Traverse City
Yoga For Health, Education LLC, Traverse City

“The RRP has truly been an effort where all participants are winners,” says Venture North President Laura Galbraith. “We know that over 95 percent of all RRP grant recipients are still in business. That is a remarkable fact and everyone involved with the program should take a bow. We hope as businesses recover, they come back to us for loan capital to grow their business, which is our primary mission.”