In a 1920s bungalow just outside of downtown Dallas, Texas you’ll find the bow tie baker.
Clyde Greenhouse has been satisfying the community’s sweet tooth at Kessler Baking Studio for over six years.
Business was sweet. Then the pandemic hit.
“Every day was a challenge trying to figure out how we’re going to make it through the pandemic,” Greenhouse said.
That answer came from a friend’s email message. The link opened up an opportunity for Kessler Baking Studio to apply for a Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) grant.
With thousands of small businesses like Kessler Baking Studio struggling to keep their doors open and their employees paid amid economic devastation caused by COVID-19, Lowe’s opened grant applications to provide much-needed relief to minority-owned businesses.
The grant Greenhouse received provided hope.
“I was elated,” he said, “because at that point I was struggling to make payroll.”
An increase in business this fall, coupled with the LISC grant, allowed Greenhouse to retain all his employees and the hope is that he’ll open seven days a week again by the holiday season.
The commitment of $55 million to LISC makes Lowe's the largest donor to LISC's Small Business Relief & Recovery Program and COVID Rapid Relief & Resiliency Fund.
"Lowe's has been committed to helping minority small business owners – the very backbone of our economy – rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating impact," said Lowe's President and CEO Marvin R. Ellison. "Helping people make their homes better extends beyond our walls and into our neighborhoods, communities and country. We're proud these grants will help minority- and women-led small businesses, many of which have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This commitment is far more than a moment in time – it's a reflection of who we have been and will continue to be as a company."
