JACKSON, MI – For Latria Guinn, there's a lot of stigma when it comes to mental health, and she said that's no different for people of color.
That's why Guinn started Hope Health Services at 1608 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Jackson's south side. Guinn said young people and families can talk to someone who empathizes with their problems, but running a business alone can be difficult and leaves less time to focus on customers.
But with a $50,000 grant from Jackson's MLK Corridor Improvement Authority's Entrepreneur and Real Estate Fund, Guinn will be able to hire an office administrator to run the company's website, schedule appointments, and handle day-to-day operations. This will give you more time. She said she will focus on promoting mental health in the Jackson and South Side communities.
“I look forward to being able to do more programs in the community and doing more work around youth mental health,” Guinn said. “There's a stigma around mental health. Sometimes it's nice to meet people who look like you.”
Guinn is one of 10 southside Jackson companies that will purchase inventory, secure or upgrade physical space, pay staff and pay staff, according to John Willis, the city's chief capital officer. He said he received a share of the $400,000 that will be distributed to help purchase other services.
Other recipients of this grant are:
- Pharaoh's Rest Haven, 1044 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The assisted living facility received $25,000 to install a wheelchair ramp and provide additional crisis intervention training for employees.
- A pretty unique beauty, 1314 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The beauty salon received him $50,000 for facade upgrades and equipment replacement.
- Mikey's Barbershop, 1601 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. In the first grant in 2023, this barbershop received $50,000 to add her 400 square feet to her 225 square foot building. Mikey's was approved for an additional $25,000 this year to help replace the roof and fill in missing trusses.
- Visit One Party Store at 616 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The Party Store received $50,000 to upgrade its parking lot, add outdoor lighting and beautify its exterior.
- DaRealTv Productions, 302 W. Prospect St. The media production organization plans to use the $25,000 grant to purchase new equipment to train area youth.
- Carl's Coffee and Cream, 1322 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. A $50,000 grant will help build a new coffee shop on Jackson's south side, just off the MLK Equality Trail.
- Nutton But Love, 1308-1316 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The $50,000 grant will help building owners make facade upgrades, roof renovations and office renovations to rent space to future businesses.
- TaeLynn Ice Cream, 1410 Martin Luther King Jr. St. Owner Jimmy Williams closed his ice cream shop last year and used a $50,000 grant to install a hood and ductwork above the kitchen to free up the space. The plan is to rent it out to a new restaurant.
- McCraney Activity Center, 1608 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. A $50,000 grant will be used to convert the former office space into a day care facility.
Jimmy Williams, owner of TaeLynn Ice Cream, hopes to install new equipment and begin renting out space to new chefs in July.
“I think it's a blessing,” Williams said.
Jackson's MLK Corridor Improvement Authority will extend the corridor along Prospect Street, Cooper Street and Euclid Avenue, covering Martin Luther King Jr. Drive between E. Mason Street and E. South Street. The subsidy was launched in November 2023 to promote business growth.
Related: 'A miracle sent from God': Grant transforms Jackson's Southside business
The grant is part of officials' efforts to reinvest in the city's southside neighborhood, which was once a thriving community before “redlining” began in the 1930s. Maps created by the federal government systematically starved nonwhite areas of access to investment and credit.
In the 1960s, the Belden Road Urban Renewal Project also requisitioned large tracts of land within the city to modernize the community. This left many low-income families homeless and businesses closed. According to a 1960s Jackson Citizen Patriot news article, 248 of the 282 evacuated families were nonwhite. Thirty-six businesses were forced to relocate, but only 18 of his businesses were able to relocate successfully.
Last year, in addition to Mikey's Barbershop, Jack's Take Out, Hampton Place Barbershop, Pryor's Barbecue House and M-Power Fitness were each awarded $50,000 in grants.
“The goal is to create community growth and economic development and encourage businesses to attract other businesses to the corridor,” Willis said.
Funding for these grants came from the Jackson City Council's decision in August 2022 to allocate $4.5 million from the city's American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 Relief Fund to the MLK Corridor Improvement Authority.
Willis said the MLK Corridor Improvement Authority will look at how the grants distributed so far have helped these businesses and ensure that any remaining grants go to viable projects. .
“If we give away this money and five years later you don't know we gave it away, then in a sense we have failed in our purpose.” Willis said.
For more information about the MLK Corridor Improvement Authority, please visit its website.
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