Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced that an additional 49 rural Hoosier communities will receive more than $8.8 million in federal grant funding through the new COVID-19 Response Program.

“With today’s announcement, Indiana has awarded more than $10.7 million to our rural communities,” said Crouch. “From increasing access to necessary testing and medical supplies to providing businesses and their workers with much needed relief, these funds are directly assisting in the fight against COVID-19.”

On April 22, Lt. Governor Crouch announced the first 13 recipients of the COVID-19 Response Program who received more than $1.96 million in funding.

“Public-private collaboration and intergovernmental coordination are critically important in ensuring funding is distributed to our rural communities,” said Jodi Golden, Executive Director of OCRA. “The creativity and local partnerships OCRA has seen in these applications is inspiring and the Hoosier spirit of collaboration continues to thrive even through this crisis.”

The Office of Community and Rural Affairs is continuing to develop a long term response program. More information will be available in the coming weeks.

Below is a summary of the projects being funded under each category. For more information on the program, visit www.in.gov/ocra/3010.htm.

Internet Access

• Union County is awarded $10,000 to purchase equipment and install internet “hot spots” around the county courthouse in the Town of Liberty.

Provide Testing, Diagnosis Or Other Services

• The City of Elwood is awarded $51,280 to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE)  for the local fire department, police department and hospital workers.
• The Town of Fountain City is awarded $40,765 to purchase PPE for the local volunteer fire department, along with a commercial washer and dryer to sanitize their turn-out gear.
• The City of Hartford City is awarded $114,355 to provide PPE, ultraviolet wands, testing and hand sanitizer for first responders including the fire department and police department.
• The City of Montpelier is awarded $51,250 to purchase all the necessary supplies to conduct community-wide COVID-19 testing for the residents of Harrison Township, in Blackford County.
• Marshall County is awarded $150,000 to install electronic billboards to help communicate information about the county’s response and resources available to residents.
• Union County is awarded $71,750 to provide COVID-19 testing and purchase PPE items for emergency response personnel.

Increase The Capacity Of Local Health Services

• Benton County is awarded $112,550 to purchase medical equipment necessary to increase the capacity of local health staff or services.
• The Town of Sheridan is awarded $102,100 to assist Riverview Health with expanding medical staff, which includes a physician.
• The City of Tipton is awarded $16,000 to employ two ambulance drivers to increase the response capacity of their local health care system.

Establish Delivery Service

• The Town of Cicero is awarded $25,549 to provide funding to the local food bank so they can purchase food and hygiene supplies.
• The City of Hartford City is awarded $20,510 to provide funding to the Community Health Services food pantry which serves the residents of Hartford City.
• Floyd County is awarded $50,000 to provide relief for the homeless and elderly in need of food and supplies. The county will coordinate with local restaurants and foodservice businesses to supply meals to area non-profits serving the homeless and elderly populations.
• The City of Brazil is awarded $75,000 to provide groceries and hygiene products through a partnership with the Clay County Emergency Food Pantry and the Senior Citizen’s Center Open Food Pantry.
• The Town of Roachdale is awarded $75,000 to purchase a month’s supply of groceries for the local food pantry.
• Starke County is awarded $75,000 to establish service through a local non-profit to deliver needed supplies to quarantined individuals or those who are medically vulnerable.
• Fountain County is awarded $75,000 to engage volunteers and staff at local non-profits to create a supply delivery program to meet the increasing needs of the county’s unemployed, elderly, immunocompromised, isolated and quarantined.
• The City of Columbia City is awarded $75,000 to provide a delivery service to 75 individuals with disabilities and who are living in group homes and supportive living, as well as 125 senior citizens.
• The Town of Arcadia is awarded $33,473.50 to assist Hamilton County Harvest Book with serving local food banks with additional food and hygiene supplies.
• The City of Tipton is awarded $29,500 to help the local food pantries facilitate a drive-up distribution center and provide workers with gloves, masks, and additional sanitation equipment while distributing food. The grant will purchase hygiene boxes and provide delivery assistance to homebound individuals.
• The Town of Sheridan is awarded $34,792 to support an existing food program by purchasing food and hygiene products for six local facilities.

Grants To Businesses To Retain Jobs

• The City of Attica is awarded $148,000 to provide grants to local business owners to stay open and provide for their low to moderate-income workers.
• The City of New Castle is awarded $250,000 to fund a business grant-making program to assist its hardest-hit manufacturers and retail businesses.
• The City of Oakland City is awarded $100,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, continue to operate.
• The City of Wabash is awarded $250,000 to provide grants to hospitality, food and beverage, tourism, manufacturing, and retail sectors. Grant amounts would range from $2,000 to $15,000 and would be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for applicants meeting the low-to-moderate (LMI) criteria that are confirmed by a review committee.
• The Town of Cicero is awarded $134,888 to create a business and economic development retention program which will provide grant assistance for operational costs, employee retention, and expansion of business services.
• The Town of Poseyville is awarded $150,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, continue to operate.
• The City of Franklin is awarded $200,000 to offer small business grants to address the needs of the community’s businesses.
• The City of Mitchell is awarded $250,000 to provide small businesses, with 25 or fewer employees, funding for rental or mortgage payments, supplies to re-start business and salary dollars.
• The City of Princeton is awarded $250,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The City of Richmond is awarded $250,000 to create a grant program for Center City District businesses that show the utmost need due to COVID-19 and who are at risk of low-to-moderate income (LMI) income job losses.
• The City of Salem is awarded $250,000 to fund a local small business grant program to help retain jobs within local businesses. Businesses will be able to apply for $5,000 grants to sustain expenses such as rent, working capital, and utilities.
• The City of Vincennes is awarded $250,000 to create a loan program that will be administered through an existing revolving loan program to assist businesses affected by closures and other hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Town of Edinburgh is awarded $240,000 to provide grants to small businesses to retain LMI employees and assist with working capital.
• The City of Tipton is awarded $204,500 to establish a forgivable loan program to help 25 local businesses with re-opening or continuing business operations, ultimately saving 150 LMI jobs.
• The Town of Arcadia is awarded $34,215.50 to provide grant assistance for operational costs, employee retention, and expansion of business services. The funding will help local businesses with rent abatement, loss of income, and continuity of operations.
• The Town of Corydon is awarded $250,000 towards a local grant program. Applicants may request up to $10,000 in grant funds for working capital to assist with the payroll of essential employees and allow non-essential employees to work remotely.
• The Town of Clarksville is awarded $250,000 to help fund an existing Forgivable Loan Program. The funds will be distributed to businesses that have been most severely impacted by the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Town of Newburgh is awarded $200,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 20 employees or less.
• The Town of Sheridan is awarded $110,890 to develop a grant program for operational costs to ensure small, downtown businesses are able to operate during and after the COVID-19 emergency.
• Blackford County is awarded $240,000 to fund a business grant program to assist its hardest-hit manufacturers and retail businesses. This will be administered by the Blackford County Economic Development Corporation.
• Daviess County is awarded $160,000 to benefit struggling businesses and entrepreneurs with workforce and business retention.
• Fayette County is awarded $250,000 to provide funds for a business grant-making program to assist its hardest-hit manufacturers and retail businesses. The goal is to provide businesses with short-term working capital to continue operations, reopen businesses, restock inventory, or pay for technology for remote working.
• Knox County is awarded $250,000 to assist area businesses with operational and retention costs.
• LaPorte County is awarded $250,000 to provide grants to small businesses to serve as working capital for the purpose of retaining jobs within those businesses.
• Lawrence County is awarded $250,000 to provide working capital to businesses, assisting with operational costs and remote work capabilities.
• Owen County is awarded $243,750 to provide grants to businesses demonstrating an impact from COVID-19 to be able to retain LMI employees.
• Morgan County is awarded $250,000 to create a grant program to provide working capital to support the day-to-day operations of small businesses.
• Randolph County is awarded $250,000 to provide grant assistance to local businesses with the assistance of the Randolph County Community and Economic Development Foundation.
• Warrick County is awarded $250,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Wells County is awarded $50,000 to provide small business grants to help local small businesses remain open and retain their employees.

Loans To Businesses To Retain Jobs

• Brown County is awarded $250,000 to establish a grant program designed to provide economic relief for small businesses to retain jobs.
• The City of Huntington is awarded $250,000 to fund its existing revolving loan fund framework in order to quickly deploy critical financial resources to small businesses for operations and remote work capabilities.
• The City of Rushville is awarded $250,000 to help fund its existing revolving loan fund to help local small businesses and create an expedited distribution system.
• The Town of Windfall is awarded $44,870 to establish a grant program to help eight local businesses with re-opening or continuing business operations, ultimately saving 40 local jobs.
• Kosciusko County is awarded $245,000 to offer zero-interest, forgivable loans to businesses for the purpose of business retention within the County.
• Miami County is awarded $250,000 to assist small businesses in retaining employees and paying for operational expenses.