Huge financial help ‘In the nick of time’
Eighty Butte County businesses earn grants from Aaron Rodgers Small-Business COVID-19 Fund
CHICO >> The used books that have been thumbed through by countless bibliophiles fill the towering shelves of The Bookstore.
Lately, there are fewer customers who peruse the shelves inside the brick building at 118 Main St. in downtown Chico.
Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, The Bookstore has been barely scraping by, said owner Josh Mills.
“We had cashed out what little retirement we had. We burned through the first (Payment Protection Program loan),” Mills said. “It was cutting it really close.”
Mills was thrown a lifeline when he discovered his business would receive a grant from the Aaron Rodgers Small-Business COVID-19 Fund through the North Valley Community Foundation. The Bookstore is one of 80 Butte County businesses that will receive financial help through the fund.
“It’s critical. It’s been brutal getting through this,” Mills said. “It’s going to help us get over the hump because we were out of money.”
Mills has been with The Bookstore for 30 years. The business has been in Chico for nearly 45 years. Currently, there are five
employees, but two are laid off at the moment, Mills said. The grants will help businesses pay for, on average, at least three months rent, the NVCF said in a press release.
Of the 80 businesses, nine were personally informed by Rodgers through a video call that’d they’d receive a grant. Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, is a Chico native and former standout for Pleasant Valley High and Butte College. The other eight business to receive a video call from Rodgers were Kona’s, Pueblito No. 2, AcaTaco, Great Harvest Bread Co., Naked Lounge, Cal Java on The Esplanade, Smokin’ Mo’s and Nic’s Restaurant in Paradise.
Mills said he was caught off guard to see Rodgers joining the video conference call along with NVCF President and CEO Alexa Benson-Valavanis.
He originally declined to do a video call since it’s something he doesn’t do often.
“They said, ‘ We really want to talk to you via video call,’” Mills recalled. “I thought, ‘ That’s weird but OK.’ Luckily I had Zoom on there. My kids use it so I had my kids hook me up with it.”
The fund was started with a $500,000 donation from Rodgers. However, after seeing the high need for help from the application videos, the three-time NFL MVP upped his donation to $1 million, according to a release from the NVCF. The NVCF added $100,000, an anonymous donor contributed $100,000 and Sherry and Gary Holbrook of Holbrook’s Clearance Center also added a “generous donation,” according to the release.
“Businesses like The Bookstore are staples of our community especially in downtown,” Rodgers said in the video with Mills. “This is why I wanted to do this fund and work with ( Valavanis) and NVCF is to help businesses like yours.”
To be eligible for the grants, businesses had to be local and have 20 or fewer full-time employees.
“He swooped in in the nick of time. It was extra sweet for that reason,” Mills said. “His timing couldn’t have been better. I really appreciate it.”
Right now, The Bookstore is operating on limited hours. It’s open for curbside pickup and allowing a few customers for inperson shopping. Mills said that he feels some level of normalcy is on the horizon and there is hope for the business to survive the pandemic.
“This whole experience has been such a crazy humbling experience for everybody. I think that watching the community come together and the goodness of people come out in such a major way, people wanting to help other people is really nice to see,” Mills said. “It gives me hope for the world.”
The deadline to apply for a grant through the Aaron Rodgers Small- Business COVID-19 Fund has passed, but donations are still being accepted. Donations can be made at https:// bit. ly/3q7NLkQ.