Approaching $600K: Monroe County’s federal grant relief awards to local businesses, nonprofits
At its regular Wednesday meeting, Monroe County’s three-member board of commissioners approved four more federal COVID-19 pandemic relief grants to area businesses or nonprofits. That ratcheted the total amount awarded towards $600,000.
The money that Monroe County has been distributing to businesses and government entities comes from a total $4.7 million CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act allocation to the county.
On Wednesday, Monroe County’s financial director, Brianne Gregory, gave commissioners a quick briefing on the four grants they were asked to approve that morning, which totaled $62,028.
The grants went to Cave Group, Inc., Boys and Girls Club, Bluebird Live, Inc., and Life Designs, Inc.
That brings the total amount awarded to $593,306.
Board of commissioners president Julie Thomas said the application deadline for the grants has been extended to April 30. The county has set up a web page with a form for applicants to fill out.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Thomas sketched out the basic criteria for award of the funds: They are to reimburse non-payroll pandemic-related expenses that haven’t been covered by some other program.
Commissioner Penny Githens highlighted the grant to the Boys and Girls Club, which was approved for $25,042. Githens said, “I’m really pleased that we’re able to help the Boys and Girls Club. When COVID first hit and all kinds of childcare opportunities closed down, the Boys and Girls Club stepped up to the plate and worked really, really hard to have safe, affordable childcare available.”
Githens added, “[The Boys and Girls Club] really did a lot to keep things moving in our local economy.”
The county’s federal relief program started with the county government acting as a clearinghouse of sorts, by passing through to the state the claims submitted by local businesses and governmental units—like the library and townships—for non-payroll expenses related to COVID-19.
The state eventually asked the county to submit the county’s own expenses for public safety, which were enough to get reimbursement to the county for the whole $4.7 million.
With the money now sitting in the county’s general fund, it’s now up to the county government to reimburse local businesses and governmental units.
Table of grants awarded through Feb. 17, 2021
| Business Name | SUM of Amount |
| MCPL (Monroe County Public Library) | $84,364 |
| Crumble | $30,000 |
| LifeDesigns | $25,112 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs INC. | $25,042 |
| Michael’s Uptown Café | $22,751 |
| WonderLab | $20,000 |
| Upland Brewing Company | $20,000 |
| Switchyard Holdings | $20,000 |
| Beacon, Inc | $20,000 |
| Dimension Mill Inc | $19,957 |
| Function Brewing | $19,806 |
| YMCA | $19,784 |
| Janko’s Little Zagreb | $18,493 |
| C3 Bar | $18,415 |
| Convention Center Mgmt Co | $18,292 |
| One World Catering, LLC | $17,274 |
| HealthNet, Inc | $16,644 |
| Nick’s English Hut | $16,601 |
| Cave Group, INC | $15,232 |
| Curry Auto Center | $8,632 |
| The Farm Restaurant | $7,926 |
| Acacia Building Corporation | $7,725 |
| Bluebird Live Inc | $7,242 |
| Campus Tutoring, LLC | $7,192 |
| The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce | $7,049 |
| Lennie’s | $6,671 |
| The Bluebird | $6,395 |
| Alibi LLC | $5,602 |
| Far | $5,150 |
| High and Fine | $5,016 |
| Cinema Pub Inc | $4,828 |
| Richland Township | $4,356 |
| The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau of Monroe County | $4,352 |
| Carmichael Center LP | $3,905 |
| The Cocuun | $3,881 |
| Loren Wood Builders | $3,724 |
| Disque | $3,617 |
| BUGS | $3,364 |
| Trendin Vendin | $3,250 |
| Cajun House | $3,156 |
| Bloomington Real Estate | $2,983 |
| Litwin Enterprises | $2,700 |
| Benton Township | $2,460 |
| BCT Management | $2,275 |
| Royale Hair Parlor | $2,248 |
| Monroe County Humane Association | $1,830 |
| VTG Enterprises | $1,669 |
| Landlocked Enterprises | $1,545 |
| Little Zagreb | $1,500 |
| Bunger & Robertson | $1,487 |
| Fine Craft | $1,289 |
| ProNails | $1,213 |
| Gather | $937 |
| Patient PT LLC | $821 |
| Move and Bloom | $679 |
| Pizza X | $678 |
| Ally Barber | $675 |
| Deborah Zera | $660 |
| Oak Native | $650 |
| Gallagher Properties, INC | $650 |
| MC Humane Society | $568 |
| Santo Family Insurance | $548 |
| Four Walls LLC | $520 |
| Cup & Kettle | $514 |
| Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping | $425 |
| Bloomington Salt Cave | $323 |
| Hoosier Films Inc. | $224 |
| Hive | $220 |
| Yoga Mala | $215 |
| Grand Total | $593,306 |
