CLEVELAND — Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many small businesses have struggled to survive, but a South Euclid church its doing what it can to help some of them get back on their feet.
South Euclid United Church of Christ presented seven small businesses with checks for nearly $600 each in a group effort between the church and other community partners.
The seven businesses that received the donations are all located in the Glenville business incubator, a project that debuted in January to help create fair opportunities in an area that was seeing a lot of disinvestment.
"Our small business owners right here in the city, they are the community. They're the ones who are helping to make decisions, they're the ones helping to keep the streets where their businesses exist, clean, they're the ones investing back in our youth,” said Larese Purnell, Managing Partner, CLE Consulting Firm. “They're the ones making sure that we stick together as one, so if you don't keep them around, you're going to have a very desolate city."
Rev. Courtney Clayton Jenkins, Senior Pastor and Teacher at South Euclid United Church of Christ, said that the church saw an opportunity to help and to bring hope to the small business owners.
"One of the things we're trying to do here is just bring hope that trouble doesn't last always and that together we will get through this,” Jenkins said.
Each month Jenkins and her church exceed their fundraising goals, the church donates 20% back to the community, and this month’s donation went to the seven small Black-owned businesses in the Glenville incubator.
To learn more about South Euclid United Church of Christ and how to donate to the church, click here.
