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Grant Program Established For Minority-Owned Businesses In Forsyth County

Organizers point to research that shows 40 percent of Black-owned businesses have closed nationwide since the pandemic began. A majority of Hispanic business owners say they expect to go out of business if conditions don’t improve. (PAUL SANCYA/AP)

A new program has been established that will provide over $1 million in grants to minority-owned businesses in Forsyth County. The goal is to help meet challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minority Business Enterprise grant program will be managed by a local panel of Black and Latino business leaders.

Mark Owens is the president of Greater Winston-Salem Inc., which coordinated the initiative. He tells the Winston-Salem Journal that the original hope was to raise $1 million dollars for the fund, but the program has already surpassed that goal.

Forsyth County business owners have until October 31st to apply for grants of up to $25,000.

Organizers point to research that shows 40 percent of Black-owned businesses have closed nationwide since the pandemic began. A majority of Hispanic business owners say they expect to go out of business if conditions don't improve.

Officials with the Forsyth County grant program say they expect to continue raising funds to cover operations over the next five years.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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