Main Spotlight: Breaking Barriers to Acquiring Commercial Properties
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Main Street merchants in two communities in Michigan and Kentucky, as well as a fellow Texas Main Street community, jumped in to help their Texas colleagues.
Cuero, a Texas Main Street community located only 2.5 hours from hard-hit Houston, experienced major storm damage, including flooding in a number businesses.
In La Grange, the Colorado River, located just blocks from the Courthouse Square Historic District, crested at the third highest level ever recorded. Miraculously, the river stopped short of flooding the square, but numerous businesses in the blocks between the river and the square were submerged. (See photo abovr.) During cleanup and rebuilding, some of businesses’ greatest needs were assistance with things not necessarily fully or partially covered by insurance, such as inventory losses or utility bills.
Merchants in Downtown Ferndale, Michigan, contributed portions of their sales from September 9 to help those impacted in Cuero and La Grange. La Grange will use the money to assist flooded businesses. Cuero will apply Ferndale’s donation to their annual Christmas in Downtown event, where they’ll debut a new lighted attraction recognizing the generosity of Ferndale. In the coming years, the attraction will serve as a reminder of how the community came together after Harvey.
Merchants from the Heart of Danville Main Street Program in Danville, Kentucky, donated a portion of sales from two days in September--totaling $1,500--to those affected in La Grange!
After the hurricane hit Beaumont, they were “adopted” by their fellow urban Texas Main Street program in Denton. (Both are 25+-year Main Street programs.) When the Denton Main Street Association held its annual Arts & Auto Extravaganza event a few weeks after the hurricane, they decided to donate funds from their Silent Auction to Beaumont Main Street. The generous sum of $1,175 donated from Denton’s event was placed in Beaumont Main Street’s revolving loan fund.
“We are so grateful, and our hearts are so warmed by these incredible acts of generosity!” Debra Drescher, State Coordinator, Texas Main Street Program
Thank you to Debra Drescher for collecting and sharing!
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