Twenty-nine Nashville businesses have received grants from the Town of Nashville through the town’s share of COVID-19 Response Program aid, helping them get through what’s been a trying economic time.

In late August, the town was granted $250,000 from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs for this purpose. It was the town’s second try at getting a pool of money to aid businesses with the goal of retaining low- to moderate-income jobs in town.

Businesses could receive up to $10,000 each. The range of awards given was between $4,000 and $10,000 per businesses, said Brenda Young, Nashville clerk-treasurer.

Only five of the 34 applicants were not awarded any money. “One of them wasn’t even open yet and they applied, and some other things, but they were good reasons,” said town council President Jane Gore at the Oct. 15 council meeting. “The ones that were chosen were good.”

Business owners were able to pick up their checks in late October.

“There were even some tears today,” said Gore, who was on the grant selection committee. Other members were Ken Birkemeier, Bob Kirlin, Rick Kelley and Jennifer Richardson. “It was just a really gratifying thing.”

Since these were grant awards, businesses will not have to pay back the money the town gave them.

Town council member Alisha Gredy said that she’d talked to several recipients and they wanted to send their thanks.

“There were a lot of people that were able to stay open that wouldn’t have been able to stay open (without the money),” Gore said.

Council member Nancy Crocker said she knew of one business owner who was able to hire a part-time employee after receiving this money, to get more done than they ever could before.

The Brown County Community Foundation also received a grant of $250,000 to aid businesses in Brown County, before the town received its grant.