Impact Stories

Borrower : Industrial Development Authority of Russell County Where : Lebanon, VA Loan Amount : $2.7 million Project Type : Equipment loan   Opportunity Economic growth requires a long-term vision and strategy. The Industrial Development Authority (IDA) of Russell County recognized that Southwest Virginia could attract global manufacturers because of its access to Interstate 81 and a readily available workforce. To proactively foster a supportive business climate, the IDA constructed a 76,000-square-foot shell building in Lebanon, …

Borrower : People Incorporated Where : Tappahannock, Culpeper and Fauquier Counties, VA Loan Amount : $5.2 million Project Type : Commercial Real Estate | Low-Income Housing Tax Credit loans   Opportunity Based in Abingdon, the 55-year-old People Incorporated of Virginia is one of the largest rural community action agencies in the nation. It serves residents throughout Virginia, and during the past decade has expanded its reach into other communities throughout the Commonwealth. Affordable housing in Virginia …

The PATH Foundation works to strengthen and impact access to health, senior services, childhood wellness and mental health resources throughout Virginia’s Fauquier, Rappahannock and Culpeper counties. PATH’s grant cycles and community engagement initiatives allow them to improve the health and vitality of the communities they serve. Earlier this year, PATH Foundation made a $250,000 deposit with VCC into a Premium Money Market Account. Similar to any other bank deposit vehicle, PATH’s funds are federally protected and grow at …

Borrower : Ninja Kombucha Brewing Co. Where : Richmond, VA Loan Amount : $128,000 Project Type : SBA 7(a) Term Loan   Opportunity Brett Nobile was looking for a healthy alternative to the hops and barley of beer when he came across kombucha, a sparkling living tea drink popular for its probiotic health benefits. Nobile began drinking kombucha on a regular basis, and decided to start brewing his own batches to save cash. A brewer of …

When Mark Constantine stepped into his role as president and CEO of the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, his directives from trustees were clear: Create positive social change through sustainable, socially responsible funding strategies. “One of the expectations from the Board was for me to think about what we could do at the intersection of health equity, the social determinants of health, and impact investing,” he recalls. RMHF’s trustees and stakeholders were interested in the idea of …

Borrower : Kelsick Specialty Market Where : Gloucester, VA Loan Amount : $107,000 Project Type : Small Business Administration Loan   Opportunity Paige Drewry wanted to join the Main Street movement in the Chesapeake Bay village of Gloucester. She found the right opportunity in Kelsick Specialty Market, which had brought cheese, fresh pasta, wine and craft beer to the small town’s Main Street for 25 years. Its previous owner, Beth Haskell, was ready to retire when …

Borrower : Nomad Deli Where : Richmond, VA Loan Amount : $144,500 Project Type : SBA 7(a) Term Loan   Opportunity Nomad Deli has been making its culinary mark in Richmond’s Brookland Park area since 2015. Founder Anthony Tucker opened the restaurant in an area lacking freshly prepared food wanting to fill that gap with affordable, fresh options and, as he says, “Put somethin’ good in ya mouth.” The minority-owned restaurant has run successfully with Anthony …

Borrower : Oakwood Arts Where : Richmond, VA Loan Amount : $340,000 Project Type : Acquisition and Construction Loan   Opportunity In 2017, Shannon Castleman had a vision for Richmond’s growing East End — a place where neighbors could gather together to express themselves freely through art and create lasting relationships. She saw this potential in a location where others might have seen an unused and abandoned church building. To Castleman, the church symbolized a beacon of artistic entrepreneurship, leadership, …

ART 180, a Richmond nonprofit with a mission to give young people living in challenging circumstances a chance to express themselves through art, sought to diversify where it invested and saved donor dollars. VCC “rose to the top” of ART 180’s list of possibilities “because of their mission to invest in the community,” says Marlene Paul, the organization’s executive director. ART 180 is a Richmond nonprofit with a mission to give young people living in challenging …

Borrower : Market at 25th and Hope Pharmacy Where : Richmond, VA Loan Amount : $1.5 million (Market) and $150,000 (Pharmacy) Project Type : Fresh Food Loan Fund (VFFLF), SBA 7(a) term loan, SBA Express Line of Credit   Opportunity The Market at 25th ranks among Richmond’s most anticipated economic development projects in recent times. The Church Hill development, with backing by prominent business and civic leaders, will bring a much-needed grocery store and healthy foods …