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Less than a week after regrouping to support small business owners after a historic flood, Region AHEAD has raised more than $300,000 in money and pledges and opened its portal for recovery grant applications.

After raising more than $250,000 in grants to small businesses in the region severely affected by COVID, Region AHEAD founders organized again to help small business owners who have been devastated by the September 27 flood in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

“Our organization has solicited donations and prepared a grant application process to share funds for small business owners as quickly as possible,” says Region A.H.E.A.D. founder and chairman Andy Dietrich. “Those in need can now simply go to RegionAhead.com and begin their path to recovery.”

Candidates for Region AHEAD grants should go to the website and click on either online grant applications to complete their application and submit it, or download the application form, complete it, then upload their application form to submit.

During the pandemic, Region A.H.E.A.D. (Appalachian Highlands Economic Aid Directory) began to inform consumers of small businesses that remained open during COVID, then evolved into a fundraising organization providing grants to Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia small business owners who applied.

“The response by individual donors and corporations and utilities has been gratifying,” says Lottie Ryans, Director of Workforce & Literacy Initiatives for the First Tennessee Development District (FTDD). Corporate and individual donations to the Region A.H.E.A.D. fund will be administered through the FTDD Foundation. “For example, BrightRidge, a utility and broadband company, donated $150,000 within days of our solicitation. Individuals and corporations can donate at our website at RegionAhead.com.”

Counties where donations can support small businesses include Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. In Southwest Virginia, counties include Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell and Washington and Wise.

Donors can designate which county their dollars will support local small business recovery, or donors can contribute to a general fund that will support small businesses across the region.

Beth Rhinehart, President and CEO of the Bristol Tennessee and Virginia Chamber of Commerce, says the need is great. “The New York Post claims the devastation is second only to Hurricane Katrina. Everyone needs to donate to the fund now.”

Original members of Region A.H.E.A.D. are part of the new flood recovery effort, including the Bristol Tennessee/Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce, First Tennessee Development District, Greene County Partnership, Johnson City, Jonesborough Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Kingsport Chamber, Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce ARO Inc., Ballad Health and Creative Energy.

“Our grants are intended to provide recovery funds to key industries of our region,” says Miles Burdine, President and CEO of the Kingsport Chamber. “Important categories we hope to support include tourism, accommodations and foodservice, retail trade and manufacturing.”

 

“I thank our donors who brought hope to small business owners so quickly,” says Dietrich. “Those who submit their grant applications should know that we have a process for evaluating their application quickly to provide recovery relief.”

To make a corporate or individual donation, go to RegionAhead.com. Grant applications are available now at the same site, RegionAhead.com.