Connie Lavender of Vintage Girls Boutique & More holds up the certificate for the Mini Grant her business won. Lavender was one of seven awarded the grants.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023, Hope, AR--Main Street Arkansas and the Hope
Downtown Network recently awarded seven downtown businesses with eight Mini
Grants that focus on restoration and preservation of downtown businesses. These
recipients were chosen after an application process through Main Street Arkansas and
the Hope Downtown Network. The funds are reimbursable for external and internal
building improvements once the projects are completed. The community will begin
to see progress made to downtown due to these grants. These grants totaled $6,000
which were given in $500 and $1000 increments. Congratulations to the following:

 Vintage Girls Boutique & More, Connie Lavender
 Jeff’s on Main, Jeff Smith
 Hope Opportunity Fund LLC, Stephen Harris
 SWARK.Today, Mark Ross and Jim Hawley
 Elm Street Marketplace, Barbara Noble
 Ethel Mae’s, Arnetta Bradford
 The Studio/Heather Clements Photography, Heather Clements

Main Street Arkansas works to strengthen and preserve historic downtowns and Main
Street districts across the state. It provides technical assistance, resources, and
ongoing education to local programs to help them implement and excel in the Main
Street Four-Point Approach creating a vivid and vital sense of place. Hope Downtown
Network became an Arkansas Downtown network program in 2018.