In August, the State of Indiana announced four municipalities in Southern Indiana, the cities of Charlestown, Jeffersonville and Madison, and the town of Clarksville, had received federal grant funding through the COVID-19 Response Program.

“This is great news for the Southern Indiana region,” said Bill Reedy, chairman of the One Southern Indiana (1si) board of directors.  “This funding has the potential to help 75 businesses overcome the challenges presented by partial shut-downs and a slowed economy. We congratulate Charlestown, Clarksville, Madison and Jeffersonville on this great win.”

This is the second phase of COVID-19 Response Program launched by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs in order to continue addressing the economic impact caused by COVID-19 on rural Hoosier businesses. Funding for the COVID-19 Response Phase 2 funding is derived from Indiana’s CARES Act allocation, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law on March 27, 2020.
Municipalities receiving funding were:

The City of Charlestown – awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses that have been most severely impacted by the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of Jeffersonville – awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to retain jobs for local, small businesses that employ less than 100 individuals in the Low-to-Moderate Income range.

The City of Madison – awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to retain jobs for local, small businesses that employ less than 100 individuals in the Low-to-Moderate Income range.

The Town of Clarksville – awarded $250,000 to provide grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses that have been most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

President and CEO of 1si, Wendy Dant Chesser, echoed Reedy’s comments, saying, “The businesses that will benefit from this program have had four months of operations with narrow ,and sometimes, no margins.  Many are surviving simply by grit and determination. Everyone who worked to make these funds available to support these businesses is to be commended.”