OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV)
- Grocery store owner Irma Villezcas hopes she's selected for a grant.
- Villezcas says the money will boost the economy for South Omaha.
- Video shows some small businesses anticipating the money.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The owner of Basket Food, a grocery story near 24th and l Street could have some extra money to build her business. It comes from a program that returns some tax money to the community. More than a dozen small businesses in this neighborhood will get that help.
Irma Villezcas' store has been part of this neighborhood for 25 years. This year is the first time she's ever been eligible to receive a turnback tax grant. It's money the state collects in sales tax near convention centers. Some of it goes back to the city. In Omaha, South Omaha and North Omaha get a portion.
This is the first time entrepreneurs and small business owners have been able to apply. Grocery store owner Villezcas hopes her store fits the profile for the money. "It will help a little bit, it will give us a push up," she says.
Word spread in South Omaha with the help of non-profits in the area. In the past, money only went to organizations that helped reduce crime, or had worked to preserve historical sites. Now, helping small businesses grow is on the list.
The store owner says, "it's something that we finally get heard as the Spanish community."
Villezcas applied right away. She believes a new sign outside will help attract customers. "I think I've been losing a lot of clients," she says.
Fifty-one businesses have applied. Total grant money handed out is just under 90-thousand dollars.
Villezcas hopes she's one of them but not just for herself. "Because if I get help, my people get help," she added.
The businesses outline what they'll use the money for in the application. There will be another opportunity to apply coming up in 2024.
