Grundy Reporter

Nearly three dozen Grundy County bars and restaurants negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will soon receive financial help.

It's because of a grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. 

The grant program's goal was to help businesses in the industry that were hit hard by the pandemic due to restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. 

Fifty-five businesses had applied for the assistance, but 35 were deemed eligible under the program's guidelines.

"[The] $240,000 was evenly distributed to those 35 eligible sub-recipients for $6,872 for each business," Matt Melvin, the county's financial analyst, said, WSPY News reported.

Earlier this month, Melvin told the Grundy County Board how the grant opportunity came to fruition. 

Melvin told the board the county first learned COVID-relief money could be available for local bars and restaurants through the Economic Support Grant Program in the middle of December. 

"The application due date to the program completion date was a very tight window, but we were able to get everything submitted," Melvin said.

Although the county didn't receive the $400,000 requested, they were awarded $240,529, a little more than half. The money will be distributed evenly to each of the 35 businesses that qualified for the grant. 

"That helped out a lot of people, Matt," Eric Rasmussen, a member of the Grundy County Board, said, WSPY News reported. "I appreciate you going after that grant in a short amount of time, and it's making a big difference to a lot of people."