RICHMOND, Va. -- Devon Chester hit the ground running when he started his East End business, Brooks Stitch & Fold, seven years ago.
The full-service laundry facility offers a variety of services. He vividly remembers how tough it was to get the funds needed to really get the business off the ground.
“In the beginning, I, like many others, pounded the streets and went to banks and other organizations that had grants and loans that were set aside for small businesses. Like many others, I got lip service and went through the process and at the end of the day, nothing manifested,” Chester said.
Leah Freemouw, the CEO of Bridging Virginia, says this a plight many small businesses face. Her organization is a nonprofit that was founded during the pandemic specifically to help address that problem.
“We are a small business loan fund and we focus on providing capital at 15k to 50k to small businesses across the state of Virginia. The reason we are in that 15k to 50k market is because there isn’t a consistent source for small businesses that need that kind of capital,” Freemouw said.
Within their first six months of lending to small businesses, Bridging Virginia faced the tall task of raising even more funds to help businesses like Devon’s. It is a mission they’re still on today. While their efforts have caught the attention of generous donors, Freemouw says their work in the small business space is far from over.
“Extremely helpful. They are one of the organizations out there that truly understands the plight of small businesses and really do their part to give back and support small businesses,” Chester explained.
Bridging Virginia’s constant goal is raising awareness about how they’re impacting small businesses by giving them a hand up. It’s something they can’t do alone.
“Capital One, Genworth, Altria and Atlantic Union. Some individuals have thrown not only their financial resources, but their talent and time into what we are trying to build, so just a thank you and we can’t wait to do more” Freemouw said.
To find out more about Bridging Virginia or to donate to the nonprofit, click here.
