High Country small business owners gathered on Friday in the Boone Chamber of Commerce for an announcement by Gov. Josh Stein.
Stein has previously made visits to Western North Carolina and met with President Donald Trump to determine the direction of funds for the region moving forward.
At the summit, Stein announced a $30 million grant program for small businesses affected by Hurricane Helene in partnership with Dogwood Health Trust. With him were speakers from Dogwood Health Trust, Habitat for Humanity, Baptists on Mission and RiverGirl Fishing Co.
“I am excited to announce that the state of North Carolina will be putting up 20 million dollars, and Dogwood Trust is going to be adding another 10 million dollars for a new pool of small business grants of $30 million,” Stein said. “It became apparent that this was essentially a proof point, this is a desperately needed program, and so we were happy to be able to come together to increase the total amount of resources.”
In addition to the announcement, stories were shared from those involved with local businesses in Western North Carolina.
Renata Dos Santos, co-owner of RiverGirl Fishing Co. in Todd, shared her experiences in trying to keep her business afloat after lack of income from this year’s tourist season.
“Many, like us, accumulate resources over the years,” Dos Santos said. “It is challenging, to say the least, to rebuild 20 years worth of our livelihoods in just a few months. That’s why we stand here in support of this grant program.”
To end the summit, speakers from Baptists on Mission and Habitat for Humanity spoke on their experiences with their organizations after the Hurricane. Together, the two organizations have completed over 5,000 projects since Helene hit and are currently working on an additional 300 build and repair sites across Western North Carolina with hundreds of volunteers.
“We’re so thankful for these funds and for the disaster relief grant that we received from the General Assembly before Helene even hit,” said Executive Director-Treasurer of Baptists on Mission, Richard Brunson. “We’re gonna use all these funds to purchase building materials to be used by volunteers to help families get back in their homes.”
For Stein, the hope is that these announcements will be the beginning of a snowball effect, uniting people across the state to look towards rebuilding the region.
“Whether you are a local government, a philanthropy, a corporation, a nonprofit or just a person in your community, there is a role for you to play in helping Western North Carolina come back,” Stein said. “When our small businesses thrive, we all thrive.”
