FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Krista Buckel
krista.buckel@cvky.org
859-231-0054 x. 1034
FULTON, KY. (August 15, 2024) – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development awarded funds to create or retain jobs in Kentucky’s 21 Delta Counties. This financial support will recapitalize Community Ventures’ (CV) revolving loan fund, which offers below-market rates for business expansion loans to eligible, rural companies.
Businesses located in Kentucky’s Mississippi Delta region including Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg, Union, and Webster Counties may apply with CV for loans ranging from $50,000 – $400,000.
Since 2007, previous funding awards from USDA Rural Development have allowed Community Ventures to assist 317 businesses in the Delta region, creating 218 jobs. A few businesses who have been helped recently by this funding include Bistro, Main Street Sweets, Double G Property’s LLC, and MDH Funeral and Cremations Services.
Owned by Kathy Gockley, Buttercup Bistro provides delicious and affordable breakfast and lunch options, and Main Street Sweets offers refreshing ice cream treats to locals and visitors to Fulton, Kentucky.
Kathy and Ken Gockley also own Double G Property’s LLC. and are known for aiding and comforting the Fulton community after the devastation of the 2021 tornados that struck the area. Through Double G Property’s LLC, they purchased several multi-use properties on Main Street in Fulton, and plan to renovate and lease the top level of these properties as apartments.
MDH Funeral and Cremations Services is owned and operated by Calloway County native Mr. MarTeze Hammonds and is Western Kentucky’s second minority-owned funeral home. Before the launch of MDH, Western Kentucky only had one minority-owned funeral home to service the 14 percent minority population of six counties, at times requiring minority families to work with a funeral home that is not familiar with minority cultural and ceremonial funeral services.
MDH provides unique cultural traditions and services, the use of technology to enhance the memory/legacy, innovative design options for caskets, programs, memory videos, private virtual visitations, and funeral details to minorities in Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, and McCracken Counties of Kentucky as well as Henry County, TN.
“Businesses are the heartbeat of Kentucky’s economy; they create and retain jobs that put food on the table and this funding from the USDA will allow rural companies to grow or continue to employ Kentuckians in 21 counties in our Delta region,” said Brenda Weaver, Community Ventures President of Lending and Western Kentucky Disaster Recovery. “We are grateful to the USDA for partnering with Community Ventures yet again in our efforts to support Kentucky businesses.”
USDA Rural Development awarded $1,000,000 to CV.
“Job creation and retention is a crucial part of our USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service’s mission, and this project will play an important role in creating and retaining jobs in rural Kentucky,” said Dr. Tom Carew, USDA Rural Development Kentucky state director. “During the Biden-Harris administration, USDA Rural Development-funded projects have created and saved tens of thousands of jobs in rural Kentucky. That wouldn’t be possible without great partnerships, like the one we have with Community Ventures.
To learn more about USDA, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/.
To learn more about Community Ventures business expansion loans, visit https://cvky.org/businesses/.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
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About Community Ventures: Founded in 1982 as a community-based, non-profit organization, Community Ventures (CV) strengthens communities and improves the overall quality of life for Kentuckians by supporting job creation, small business ownership, and home ownership. CV is headquartered in Lexington with branch locations in Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Louisville, Mayfield, Millersburg, and Owensboro. For 21 consecutive years, CV has been named Microlender of the Year by the Kentucky Small Business Administration.