In Case You Missed It: November 2024 Digest

Posted on by Department of Housing and Community Development

During the month of November, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) team published eight blog posts, highlighting the latest community-vitality news, events and more! Here’s a recap:

Helene Recovery Resources

  • Two months ago, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and traveled straight north, bringing wind, rain, and catastrophic flooding to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia as a tropical storm. Every day is bringing new resources, businesses and amenities re-opening, and good news on recovery efforts. Click here to learn more!

Small Business Saturday

  • Small Business Saturday was created 15 years ago by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and American Express to encourage shoppers to look outside of the big chains for their holiday shopping and spend their dollars locally instead. Every year, the initiative serves as a reminder of the vital role that small businesses play in our communities! This year, Small Business Saturday offers a great opportunity to highlight your community’s small business ecosystem and foster a sense of community pride. Click here to learn more!
  • Supporting local is more than just a hashtag, it’s a lifestyle. We have all seen those who post a picture on social media, usually around Small Business Saturday or the holiday shopping season showing their support for local businesses. Of course, this is great and the cool, hip thing to do is “support local,” but are these folks supporting more than one or two days a year? Many often claim to support local, but are they really supporting to the level that truly helps a small business remain sustainable for the long term? That’s the question we must ask ourselves. Click here to learn more!

Supporting Entrepreneurs

  • The Town of Altavista’s Spark Innovation Center recently completed their Boost Your Business (BYB) series, which strengthened local entrepreneurs across Central Virginia. Supported by a $57,000 Virginia Business District Resurgence Grant (VBDRG) from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the series included six total cohorts that participated in targeted business essential training. Each four-week session focused on a specific topic such as marketing, finance, leadership development, and human resources. Click here to learn more!
  • Last fall, Destination Downtown South Boston (DDSB) was awarded a $100,000 VBDRG from DHCD to fund an entrepreneur assistance initiative – Keep Entrepreneurs Program – within the community’s historic commercial district. Over the past year, DDSB delivered high-quality, individualized advising and technical assistance to existing businesses, helping them address financial challenges, adapt to post-pandemic conditions, and explore strategies for growth and expansion. The organization also provided mini-grants to support long-term business success and address building up-fit needs for property owners. Click here to learn more!

Federal and State Collaboration

Elevating Your Organization

  • The Virginia Community Development Corporation (VCDC) is helping nonprofit organizations and community-focused groups across Virginia elevate their impact through the Mission Elevation Program. This program provides local organizations with the tools, support, and guidance they need to tackle challenges and drive long-term growth—especially for Main Street communities looking to revitalize their downtown areas. Click here to learn more!

Grant Opportunity

  • USDA provides grants to local utility organizations which use the funding to establish Revolving Loan Funds (RLF). Loans are made from the revolving loan fund to projects that will create or retain rural jobs. Click here to learn more!

Stay tuned for lots more great content in December!