Vermont Business Magazine The Montpelier Development Corporation and the Montpelier Foundation have distributed more than $200,000 under the auspices of the Montpelier Economic Need and Distress (MEND) Fund to 74 businesses within Montpelier’s downtown. Grant awards ranged from $1000-$5000.
The MEND Fund was created to respond to the burden faced by storefront businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the State of Vermont’s subsequent ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ order. Collectively, corporate donors Union Mutual, Vermont Mutual, National Life, Northfield Savings Bank, and Noyle W. Johnson, along with local individual donors including Susan Ritz, contributed over $200,000. MEND grants are intended to assist with business recovery and revitalization efforts during this time of unprecedented economic hardship.
“This is incredible,” said Skye Barsh, owner of Alpenglow Fitness, in response to receiving a grant. “I am very, very grateful. You're supporting a very appreciative business as well our clients who utilize us as a resource for health and well-being.” Benjamin Adler, owner of the Skinny Pancake, also expressed his appreciation, stating: “Thank you so much for putting together this remarkable, generous initiative. We do not know of another town with a parallel effort.”
A complete list of businesses who received grant funding is as follows:
Aartistic Inc
Alla Vita
Alpenglow Fitness
AroMed Essentials
Artisan Hands Gallery
Bailey Road
Bear Pond Books
Bohemian Bakery
Book Garden
Botanical Florals
Buch Spieler Records
Buddy's Famous
Capital Dry Cleaners
Capitol Copy
Capitol Grounds
Capitol Kitchen
Capitol Plaza Hotel & Conference Center
Capitol Stationers Inc
Capitol Theatre
Charlie O's World Famous
The Cheshire Cat
Chill/ Vermont Gelato LLC
Cool Jewels
Delish Montpelier’s Sweet Shop
The Drawing Board
Elm Street Chop Shop
Green Mountain CrossFit
Grian Herbs Apothecary
Guitar Sam
The Hippie Chickpea
Incognito Salon
Integrative Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
J Morgan’s Steakhouse
J. Langdon
Julio's Cantina
JumpingRaindrops Sewing & Design
Katie's Jewels
Kismet
Langdon Street Tavern
Lotus Day Spa
Lucid Path Wellness
Ly Ly's Nails
Marigold Adornment
Mobi-Tech
Myles Court Barbershop
New China Start Inc
North Branch Café
Ondine Salon
Onion River Outdoors
Pho Capitol
Pho Thai Express
Pinky’s on State
Positive Pie Inc.
Quirky Pet
Rabble Rouser
Rebel Heart Collective
Regal Flower Design and Decorative Arts
Roam Vermont
Royal Orchid Thai
Salaam
Sarducci’s
Savoy Theatre
Splash Naturals
Susan Calza Gallery
Sweet Melissa's
The Front L3C
The Getup Vintage
The Mad Taco
The Skinny Pancake
Three Penny Taproom
Uncommon Market
Wilaiwan Kitchen
Woodbelly Pizza
Woodbury Mountain Toys
Zutano Outlet Store
The recipients of the MEND grants are not required to use the funds for any particular expenditure, but were encouraged to use some part of the grant to clean or improve the facades of their storefronts. The majority of the funding, however, will likely be used to defray some of the costs incurred by businesses at a time when revenue has dropped dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bill Kaplan, Chair of the MDC, stated that his organization wanted to be part of the MEND Fund to help Montpelier’s business community deal with the financial consequences of pandemic. “We knew that we could not possibly provide the panacea to all the difficulties presented by the COVID pandemic,” Kaplan stated. “But we also knew that we could be part of the recovery, in conjunction with other local organizations, the Montpelier City government, private donors, and the State and federal governments.”
The motivation of the Montpelier Foundation was similar. “As volunteer Board members who live, work, and raise our families in this community, we are working to do what we can to support and sustain Montpelier’s local economy,” stated Ed Flanagan, Chair of the Foundation. “We are hopeful that these efforts will be part of the financial recovery from the pandemic.”
Montpelier Development Corporation (MDC) serves as the steward of the Economic Development Strategic Plan for the City of Montpelier. Working closely with local government, area businesses and organizations, MDC assists individual entrepreneurs and already existing firms to establish, relocate or expand their businesses within the City of Montpelier.
The Montpelier Foundation enhances the city’s ability to make investments in capital improvement projects and complements revenue generated from taxes, appropriations, grants and other sources. Created by the Montpelier City Council in 1994, the Foundation receives gifts, bequests and donations of cash or property to support capital projects that provide long term public benefits in Montpelier.
Source: Montpelier, VT – The Montpelier Development Corporation 8.17.2020