MEDINA, Ohio — The city of Medina is helping 31 local, small businesses make it through these tough times by giving out nearly $175,000 dollars in grants.
The money comes from the city’s nearly $1.8 million in CARES Act funds.
Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell said it was crucial for the city to offer assistance in any way they could. Because of the ongoing delays with the postal service, officials hand-delivered some of those checks to business owners this week.
Others stopped by Medina City Hall to pick them up themselves, including Rebecca Cross, owner of Bee Healthy Nutrition smoothie bar. She received $6,000 for back rent.
“We can show the community the health and wellness that we offer and be able to give back to the city of Medina,” Cross said.
The smoothie bar will soon have a new home inside Snap Fitness on Court Street. Cross opened the business last year in a space on Medina Square, but when the pandemic hit sales slowed way down.
“Since people weren't able to come in we did curbside service. We did all of the things that every other restaurant and small local business owner did to help keep their business open,” Cross said.
But that wasn’t enough, and the rent just kept piling up.
“We had $5,100 in rent that we had to pay,” Cross said.
Cross applied for Medina County’s small business grant program in June, but didn’t get any money. Then, her application was passed over to the City of Medina to be considered for its program.
“A large majority of the ones we helped also applied to the county, and some received money, some didn't or some received a portion of money from the county and then we tried to supplement those,” Hanwell said. “The sooner we get it to them, the sooner they can pay some other outstanding bills or try to get themselves back in the black.”
Cross was able to pay her back rent Friday and has $900 left to start building her new bar - now having teamed up with Kim Scheerger, one of the owners of Snap Fitness.
“Where there's a will there's a way,” Scheerger said. “We're lucky and extremely blessed that she was given that grant money so that we're able to take the steps forward that we need for both of us to grow.”
“I totally appreciate the city of Medina for investing back into the small business owners and being able to give us entrepreneurs our dreams and be able to still carry out our passion through the city,” Cross said.
Cross hopes to have the new smoothie bar at Snap Fitness opened in 30 to 60 days.
More information about Bee Healthy Nutrition can be found here.
Jade Jarvis is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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