#LocallyLexington helps downtown businesses
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The pandemic continues to hurt businesses nationwide, but in Lexington, a community service partnership is working to help local businesses.
#LocallyLexington is collaboration with Downtown Lexington Partnership, Downtown Lexington Management District and Kinetic by Windstream. It provides grants to qualifying businesses.
“It feels really good to know that I’m appreciated as a downtown business,” says Rachel Savane, owner of Savane Silver and a recipient of the grant.
Savane has been in business for 24 years. Like most shop owners, she says the pandemic hit her hard, but even when she was given the green light to re-open, she didn’t right away.
“The re-opening was at a time that I wasn’t feeling ready to risk it,” says Savane. I didn’t feel like I had an understanding.”
She held off until July 1st and she says the re-opening went hand-in-hand with the grants that were being given.
“It’s just helped me have a solid starting point,” says Savane. “It allowed me to put the lock on my door, to have the mag lock, so that I can control if someone isn’t masked up, they aren’t coming in.”
That’s something Savane says has given her peace of mind.
A few blocks away, Old Vine Bistro owner Larry Dean says the grant gave him the money to buy a $1,300 high-power disinfectant sprayer for the restaurant.
“The Lexington Downtown Partnership allowed our customers to feel a little safer,” says Deans.
He says he’s also using the grant money to install hospital grade air filters that will disinfect the air every five minutes.
“Right now, operating is tight so every bit helps,” says Dean.
He says he encourages business owners that don’t know about this program to apply as soon as possible.
“There are people out there that wanna help, but you just have to reach out to them because they can’t reach out to everybody because they don’t know who needs what,” says Dean.
To apply, click here.
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