Garner Small Business Resiliency Fund Opens Second Round of Grants for COVID Relief
The partnership between The Garner Chamber of Commerce and The Downtown Garner Association launched its first round in April and awarded small grants to 34 local Garner businesses and non-profits totaling $48,000.
As the pandemic continues, the decision was made to do another round to help small businesses in and around Garner.
The partnership between The Garner Chamber of Commerce and The Downtown Garner Association launched its first round in April and awarded small grants to 34 local Garner businesses and non-profits totaling $48,000.
As the pandemic continues, the decision was made to do another round to help small businesses in and around Garner.
Round 2.5 Objectives
The goal of Round 2.5 is to provide support for businesses that are open but still recovering and struggling with the financial impact of COVID-19 either through restrictions on their business type, reduction in customers due to the pandemic, and/or businesses that have incurred additional expenses to make their places of business safer for the public (installation of barriers, hand sanitizer/dispensers, masks, etc.).
Priority business types for this round include 1) gyms, fitness studios, and indoor fitness, 2) barber, salon, and personal care businesses, 3) local restaurants, and 4) other service businesses especially impacted by COVID-19.
Deadline to apply is September 30th at 5pm.
Testimonials from Round One
“Thank you so much! This is a huge encouragement to us, and we will use the grant wisely to help sustain our ministry. We are longing to be together but are doing our best to serve our students via ZOOM. This act of kindness from Garner and our community is humbling. We are truly grateful! May God bless you as you continue to rally support for local businesses.
Grace and Peace.
Leslie Hanna – Spiritual Twist Productions
“Wow! Thank you all very much for this award! We will certainly put it to great use, which will help us sustain our business and keep our team employed.”
Paul Campbell – Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant
“Thank you for reviewing our application and approval of the grant award. It seems so inadequate to just say thank you but we are writing to express our sincere gratitude for the Grant Award. We want you to know that this Grant will be utilized to help pay our ongoing monthly obligations. It has been indeed a challenge to maintain our house of worship. Our congregation is not a large congregation and the majority that support us are senior citizens. We have been in the Garner Community for 10 years and in the mission Fields where God will lead us. “ God Bless.
Reverend Gwen Horton, Pastor - In The Beginning Missionary Baptist
Please accept my sincere “Thank you” for the grant. As you are all aware, this is a very difficult time for the small businesses forced to close. This grant will help pay May’s rent and certainly ease the burden of what it will take to ramp back up once we are allowed to open back up for business. I’m filled with such gratitude and quite humbled to be part of such a caring community. #shoplocal #shopsmall Kindest Regards,
Barbara Galavotti – Body Wellness Massage Therapy
Small Business Spotlight: Zin Yoga Studio and Wine Lounge
As Garner small businesses navigate COVID-19, sharing their experiences and stories helps us all understand the challenges and the recovery.
BY MARGARET DAMGHANI
Zin Yoga Studio and Wine Lounge
Website: zinyogawine.com
Address: 1411 Aversboro Rd Suite 309
How long have you been in the Garner Area?
Over five years.
What inspired your business?
My passion for people, helping people, educating people on pain management alternatives to medicine.
My two passions...Yoga and wine. Yoga is healing for the body and soul. I love teaching and sharing the powerful healing practice of yoga. At Zin Yoga, the classes are open to everyBODY, to everyone. Completely separate business is my wine. I offer a unique boutique selection of wines.
Wine tastings are offered multiple times a month, as well as virtual wine tastings. NO WINE WITH YOGA. Probably the one most misunderstood part of my business for those who have never been here.
How did you adapt to changes with the pandemic and closures?
I am grateful for the technology of ZOOM. Yoga classes moved to this online live streaming format. Then I decided to offer wine tastings/discussions online as well.
People love them!! Learn great details about the featured wines. Have awesome discussions and share thoughts on what we are tasting… and we get to have the community and socializing in a safe social distancing way.
What have you had to do to comply?
It has now been over five months since I have taught yoga in my beautiful studio. Zin yoga studio offers classes outside under the porch as well as virtual classes.
How did this affect your employees?
Unfortunately, no work.
How did you use the award from the Garner Small Business Resiliency Fund?
RENT!!! The grant was a true blessing.
What does the future look like?
I have Faith that my business will survive this crisis because of this amazing community. The people of Garner support small business. I feel so blessed I opened this business here in this community.
Garner Startup Pivots to Face Mask Production
A Garner-based startup company, Sanctuary Systems, is doing its part to help protect local employees against COVID-19.
Sanctuary Systems recently has pivoted its non-woven textiles company to produce face masks for companies in the Triangle area. The startup originally was spun out of North Carolina State University and still keeps its close ties with the NCSU Nonwoven Institute.
A Garner-based startup company, Sanctuary Systems, is doing its part to help protect local employees against COVID-19.
Sanctuary Systems recently has pivoted its non-woven textiles company to produce face masks for companies in the Triangle area. The startup originally was spun out of North Carolina State University and still keeps its close ties with the NCSU Nonwoven Institute.
“This was a great way for us to use our decades of non-woven experience to help keep employees safe,” said Stephen Sharp, the company’s director of operations.
The company is able to produce 3,500 to 3,600 masks per hour on its one machine. It plans to add more machines to keep up with demand.
“Continued demand will come from a change in protocol in industries that did not use PPE in the past but will use it in the future—industries such as nursing homes, law enforcement and dental offices,” Sharp said.
“While face masks are not our primary product, we see them as becoming a regular part of someone’s attire and a common courtesy, as is seen in many other cultures,” Sharp added.
You won’t find Sanctuary Systems’ masks in stores. Currently, the company is only selling its masks directly to other businesses.
“Seeing companies like Sanctuary step up and pivot to manufacturing a new product so quickly is inspiring,” Garner Economic Development Director Joe Stallings said. “This company is not only adding new equipment and jobs, they are helping to keep our community and the people who work in it safe.”
For more information about economic development matters in the Town of Garner, please contact Mr. Stallings at 919.773.4431.
Courtesy Town of Garner
Small Business Spotlight: Barbra Galavotti, Body Wellness Massage Therapy
As Garner small businesses navigate COVID-19, sharing their experiences and stories helps us all understand the challenges and the recovery.
BY MARGARET DAMGHANI
Body Wellness Massage Therapy, LLC
Barbra Galavotti
Website: bodywellnessnc.com
Address: 1428 Aversboro Rd, Garner, NC 27529
How long have you been in the Garner Area?
Lived in the Garner area for 24 years, and started Body Wellness 11 years ago.
What inspired your business?
My passion for people, helping people, educating people on pain management alternatives to medicine.
How did you adapt to changes with the pandemic and closures?
I’m not sure anyone can fully adapt to the changes and especially closing. Being in a “people focused” industry, worry extends to your employees, especially the single parents, and your clients who rely on what we do to manage their pain.
Staying in touch with clients and encouraging them to do self care, while educating them on how to, gave hope they would be encouraged as well. I also stayed in touch with employees to hopefully provide them a sense of “we are going to be ok” and all have jobs to go back to.
What have you had to do to comply?
I had to close my doors to comply with the executive order. This meant $0 revenue flow, however all of the bills still needed to be paid.
How did this affect your employees?
It forced my employees to file for unemployment.
How did you use the award from the Garner Small Business Resiliency Fund?
The fund was helpful and contributed to rent for 1 month. It was humbling knowing our small community was willing to help out like that, especially when all of the bills that needed to be paid, no one reached out including rent, utilities, banking, software companies.....the list goes on.
Not one company reached out to say let us help you. I wasn’t looking for a hand out, but was hoping some of the businesses I know are far larger than my own would have offered for at least a deferment on bills. A very disappointing moment for me so the Resiliency Fund put a little faith back into me that there are still folks that care about what we do for the people.
What does the future look like?
I wish I knew what the future looked like. It is so hard to tell. Although we were given the go ahead to open our doors, the expense has greatly increased due to protocols that need to be in place in order to have clients walk through our doors.
Not to mention, many folks are still hesitant about coming back in. I haven’t been able to bring all of my staff back yet and our operation hours and days have reduced greatly due to the numbers being low coming back at this time. The slow start makes it even more challenging to catch up financially from the loss.
Small Business Spotlight: Linda Wallace, Garner Florist and Gifts
As Garner small businesses navigate COVID-19, sharing their experiences and stories helps us all understand the challenges and the recovery.
BY MARGARET DAMGHANI
Garner Florist, Linda Wallace
Website: garnerncflorist.com
Address: 1140 Benson Road, Suite 104, Garner NC, 27529
How long have you been in the Garner Area?
I have owned the Florist for the past 34 years.
How did you adapt to changes with the pandemic and closures?
I sanitize daily, and when someone comes into the shop.
What have you had to do to comply?
All suppliers wear masks, and up until last week left flowers at the front door.
How did this affect your employees?
My long time delivery person still is not back to work. I have worked mostly by myself.
How did you use the award from the Garner Small Business Resiliency Fund?
I used the funds to pay for one month rent and utilities. It was a life-saver.
What does the future look like?
Not sure what the future holds for the flower industry. So many weddings have been delayed. Funerals are nothing compared to the past.
Garner Restaurants Offering TakeOut/Curbside/Delivery
Support oour local food establishments during the COVID-19 situation.
Restaurants Offering TakeOut/Curbside/Delivery
(Please call restaurants individually to confirm hours)
3 Olives Pizza & Deli
Alaksha's Curry in a Hurry
Alexander's Mediterranean Cuisine
Aversboro Coffee
Aversboro Restaurant & Sports Bar
Backyard Bistro
Big Ed's
Bojangles'
Buffalo Brothers
Buffalo Wild Wings
Caffe' Luna
Carolina Ale House
Chick-fil-A at Garner Towne Square and White Oak Crossing
City Barbeque
Denny's
Firehouse Subs - Garner, Clayton, Raleigh
Golden Corral Buffet & Grill
Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant
How's It Bean
Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC/Taco Bell
Kickback Jacks
La Cocina
Locked & Loaded Grill
Logan's Roadhouse
Longhorn Steakhouse
Lorraine's Coffee House & Music
McDonald's
1567 Hwy. 70 W Garner NC 27529
(919) 772-9496
101 Timber Dr. Garner NC 27529
(919) 662-9804
110 Carillon Dr. Garner NC 27529
(919) 771-2441
MoJo's Grill
Moonrunners Saloon
Panera Bread
Pizza Inn, Garner
Ragazzi's
Red Robin
Taco Bell
Toot-N-Tell Restaurant
Tropical Smoothie Cafe - Garner
Walking Crab
Yemen Kitchen
Zaxby's - Garner
Zaxby's - White Oak